Police deal with anti-social scourge in Grangemouth park

The youngsters were severely warned regarding their conduct last Saturday night, which follows on from the rise in vandalism at the park in recent weeks.

Police have also sent out letters to parents of high school pupils in the area, informing them about the large groups of youths gathering in the park and warning them there will be an increased police presence in the area at weekends.

The warning letter and step up in police patrols are a response to a number of incidents in the park – including a portable toilet being set alight and a dump truck being stolen from the park’s new pay area and dumped in Grange Burn and a decorative wheelbarrow being damaged in the rose garden.

Zetland Park recently received a further £192,000 of funding from the National Lottery Heritage to allow its massive regeneration project to move forward and KOMPAN, the company building the new all inclusive play area, has also taken measures to prevent the vandalism, introducing a Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS) device which monitors and detects any form of intrusion inside the perimeter of the site.

The firm is is also asking residents and park users to remain vigilant.

Last summer the rose garden suffered through an incident of major vandalism when a £600 cherry tree – planted by a group of hard working volunteers – was ring-barked, which effectively killed it off.

If anyone witnesses any antisocial behaviour in Zetland Park they can call police on 101.