Council pledges immediate action at Corby football pitch where teens attacked cars with acid
A council leader has outlined work that will be carried out to make a football field safer for kids following and acid attack in Corby.
Youngsters training with Hellenic Fisher YFC in Corby witnessed a group of youths on motorbikes doing wheelies across their field before squirting acid on the cars of their parents on Wednesday evening.
Later that night, bosses at the club told our reporter they had been calling for action for months following an intensification of motorbike nuisance on the field, worsened by broken fencing that was allowing the bikers to make a quick getaway.
Now the leader of North Northamptonshire Council has said that remedial work was carried out first thing yesterday morning and other measures are in the pipeline to help improve security at the Burghley Road playing fields.
Jason Smithers (Cons, Oundle) said: “Creating strong, safe communities and excellent leisure facilities is a priority for the council and we’re committed to working hard with local people to make this happen.
“We are currently progressing a project to safely demolish the derelict pavilion in Burghley Drive and provide temporary facilities to allow Hellenic football club to train and play matches at their home ground.
“Parallel to this we are working to obtain funding for a permanent structure on the site comprising changing rooms, toilets, and a community space / club room subject to community consultation.
“On the site - an inspection has been carried out and the larger gap in the fence is due for repair in the coming days. More widely, the installation of any gated fencing needs to be considered so that any residents who want to legitimately access a location can still do so.
“All play equipment at the site has been cleansed this morning and the gate which was broken to allow emergency access to the site last night has been repaired.
“Across the council area, we are undertaking a full review of the CCTV service including camera locations. Incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour will influence any future decisions of where cameras are located.”
Police are still appealing for members of the public to provide them with dashcam or doorbell camera evidence of youths on motorbikes during Wednesday evening. You can pass information to [email protected]