People are being urged to report damage being caused to the stone and wooden benches in Keswick’s Market Square following a number of incidents.
Cllr Markus Campbell-Savours, Keswick’s representative on Cumberland Council, said that over an extended period of time there have been issues with benches being hit by vehicles, in some cases causing them to topple over.
“My understanding is that those who have been responsible for the damage have not been forthcoming in reporting it,” said Cllr Campbell-Savours. “People are saying that it is delivery vehicles but unless people actively report the incident to Cumberland Council then we cannot request a CCTV check from the police.
“It’s a bit frustrating but I intend to ask council officers if there is a way that we can improve reporting and increase enforcement of the issue.
“If people don’t report what is happening to the benches then we are in this weird situation where we cannot say to the police will you check six months of CCTV to establish when this happened. It would take up hours of officer time.”
Cllr Campbell-Savours said that he was aware of instances where damage has been caused but the driver of the vehicle has not known whom to contact. He said that one person had suggested putting a plaque on the benches giving details of who should be contacted. He said that he would be reporting back to Keswick Town Council about how much it has cost to repair the benches.
