Hidden danger warning over glass in water

The alarm was raised through social media with owners asked to pass on a message that broken glass in a pond at the popular park had left one animal with serious cuts to its legs.

One of the leading figures in the Friends of the Rock Gardens today said she wouldn’t be surprised, having pulled broken glass out of water features in the past.

Coun Christine Wright – who has been outspoken about vandalism at the Devonshire Road site – said: “I’d not see the reports myself but it’s not a surprise.

“We’ve done a lot of work to get all the glass out of the water but there might well be more in there now.

“I guess the only thing is to stay aware.

“We’ve had glass broken up on the crazy paving.

“It’s yet another thing that is being done deliberately and you can’t understand why.”

In spite of the warning from dog owners, Coun Wright is pleased to have seen no repeat of the major vandalism which hit the park earlier this year.

In April, CCTV cameras were damaged and walls were daubed with graffiti.

And an area of grassland was deliberately set alight, drawing fire crews away from a nearby kitchen blaze.

“As it stands the gardens have had a repaint and a refurb,” said Coun Wright.

“We’ve given the vandalised areas a neutral coat of paint.

“So far, with a couple of weeks gone, there’s been no major problems.

“Fingers crossed that it continues.”

Coun Wright made it clear she didn’t want to see anybody excluded from the park but called on young people to show respect to the site and to other visitors.

“We realise a lot of different people want to use the Rock Gardens and that’s fantastic.

“It is a public park.
“We want it to be for everybody, we don’t want to exclude anybody.

“But there is a code and we ask people to respect it.”

The Friends of the Rock Gardens group is hoping to stage another fund-raising family fun day at the popular gardens later this year.

The last event, in May, was cancelled due to heavy rain.

But with summer almost here, Coun Wright is hoping to find a suitable window of opportunity.

“We’re going to wait until we’ve got a hopefully sunny day when everybody is available,” she said.

The Rock Gardens have been renovated in recent years, having previously fallen into disrepair, with some funding coming from the National Lottery for improvements.