Bude council’s plea after graffiti hits Bencoolen Play Park

Someone has been busy with a marker pen at one of the town’s play parks. And the people left to scrub it off aren’t impressed.

Bude-Stratton Town Council has spoken out after recent graffiti and vandalism at Bencoolen Play Park and the Triangle in Bude.

Photos shared by the council show tags and scrawled writing across the wooden panels of a play structure, along with a broken section of picket fence beside a “No dogs, no cycles” sign.

The council said it was disappointed to report the incidents. Both are public spaces provided for everyone to enjoy, and it described seeing them treated this way as frustrating.

The cost of cleaning up

Graffiti doesn’t remove itself. The council said taking it off and repairing the damage eats into staff time and costs money.

Those are resources, it pointed out, that could otherwise be spent maintaining and improving facilities across Bude and Stratton.

A word to parents and carers

The council is asking everyone to take responsibility for looking after shared spaces in the town.

It also singled out parents and carers, saying they can play an important role by encouraging young people to respect the facilities provided for the community.

Its request is to help keep the parks and public spaces clean, welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. Or, as the council’s post put it in bold: “Vandalism isn’t harmless fun. It affects the whole community.”

📷Graffiti and damage at Bencoolen Play Park and the Triangle in Bude. Credit: Bude-Stratton Town Council