CCTV plea renewed after fire damages Grantham’s Dysart Park bandstand

A fire that damaged trees, fencing and a Jubilee bandstand has led to renewed calls for CCTV in a town park.

Coun Graham Jeal (Con) and Coun Charmaine Morgan (Ind), who represent Grantham St Vincent’s Ward on South Kesteven District Council, visited Dysart Park in Grantham recently after the incident, which was reported to police at about 7am on April 25.

No arrests have been made, and Lincolnshire Police is appealing for witnesses or information about the arson.

Coun Jeal said: “For more than 10 years, we’ve warned about vandalism in Dysart Park and called for CCTV.

“Still, the park suffers from vandals and anti-social behaviour on a regular basis.”

He added that he was particularly saddened to see the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee bandstand “pretty much destroyed” after unveiling it as mayor of Grantham in front of hundreds of residents in 2022.

Coun Morgan said she was told there was “insufficient evidence” for CCTV, despite repeated vandalism and recent investment.

“Whilst I'm delighted that support for more CCTV cameras elsewhere in St Vincent’s ward has been approved by SKDC, it was hugely disappointing to get this response to the request for cameras in Dysart Park,” she said.

“It is important that the value of Dysart Park to our wider community is recognised.

“The vandalism is not just harmful but repeated. Investment has been made in restoration, repairs and new equipment in the park. We need to protect this.”

She urged the community to report incidents and called for more visible policing.

South Kesteven District Council said it condemned vandalism and worked with police to tackle anti-social behaviour.

“Dysart Park holds Green Flag status – the benchmark for quality – and is a wonderful place to visit for many reasons. The actions of a few selfish individuals should not detract from this community asset,” said a spokesperson for the authority.

However, they added: “There is currently no infrastructure capable of supporting CCTV in the park.”

They said any future installation must be justified by data and funding availability.

The council said CCTV needs more than cameras – it also requires systems to transmit, store and manage footage.

They said CCTV requests are assessed based on problem severity, evidence of need, and available funding for installation and upkeep.

“At this time, we do not have sufficient intelligence and data to demonstrate the need in Dysart Park,” added the spokesperson.

Police and crime commissioner Marc Jones (Con) voiced support for expanding CCTV and using facial recognition to catch offenders.

“I have worked in very successful partnership with SKDC and its councillors over a number of years to bring investment to upgrade and expand CCTV in our area,” he said.

“Of course, more can be done and it is great to see councillors keen to keep their communities feeling safe.

“I fully support all efforts to get the most out of CCTV, including using facial recognition to catch prolific offenders and make streets safe for all.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism at the park should email force.control@lincs.police.uk or call 101.

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