Three vandalism attacks in a week at Helston Coronation Park

Vandals have targeted Coronation Park three times over the past week, damaging equipment and signs.

In a post on social media, park and community officer Al Edwards said: "This week we have sadly been subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour, all three incidents completely mindless and unnecessary."

On Tuesday evening last week, wheelie bins were removed from the back of the Lakeside Cafe and were found at the bridge entering the main lake island.

Members of running club JP Fitness found the bins and returned them, cleaning up the mess and debris that had been caused as a result.

That same evening also saw damage to one of the large information signs in the park, which Mr Edwards said was "forcibly removed" from its two large wooden posts and thrown into the river.

It was retrieved from the water by park volunteer Grenfell Williams, who managed to repair and reinstall the sign.

However, on Sunday, an attack was made to another sign in the park.

One of the signs ripped from its posts. Photo: Coronation Park

Both were information boards put up at the park following a project with the National Trust and Loe Pool Forum.

One showed the different types birds in the park, while the other gave information about the River Cober and Penrose.

Mr Edwards said: "We were saddened to see the destruction and damage to yet another sign, again, forcibly removed from its posts near the boat hire shed.

"Regrettably, this sign might be beyond repair and require replacement, at a substantial cost to the park."

He added that all three incidents had been logged online with the police and reported to the neighbourhood policing team, along with potential suspects.

"To say the park team, volunteers and office staff are disappointed is an understatement," said Mr Edwards.

Another sign ended up in the river. Photo: Coronation Park

David Turnbull, a director of the South Kerrier Alliance CIC that took over the running of the park from Cornwall Council in May last year, said the response from the public made it clear that "everybody is really dismayed."

He told the Packet: "There's clearly a gang of kids going around, not just in the park but in the area.

"We have filed it as a police complaint and we are waiting for people to come down."

He said there had been examples of anti-social behaviour in the past, but after the police took action it had got "substantially better" over the summer.

"We have had a really good summer so this is the first thing that's gone wrong for quite a while.

"It's got past the point of being annoying and it's now damaging, and costing us money, which is really a shame.

"We need to know it's been dealt with, otherwise it's going to carry on," added Mr Turnbull.