Archive Hour: Battling the Hermitage Park vandals...in 2004

Here's how we reported the news in the Advertiser on May 6, 2004...

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A SHELTER at a Helensburgh trouble spot is to be knocked down as the war against vandals is stepped up.

The brick building in Hermitage Park is to be demolished at a cost of £6,000 because it is a focal point for drink and drug crazed youths.

It is believed the shelter provides a hiding place for neds who have been responsible for a rising tide of destruction.

On Tuesday Argyll and Bute councillors decided the only option now was to remove the shelter and find other ways to make the park easier to patrol.

Members of the Helensburgh and Lomond area committee backed the recommendation, made by the council’s area property officer Donald Brown.

A report handed to councillors said the shelter was near to the war memorial and the demolition and landscaping work would cost in the region of £6,000.

A similar sum had to be spent last year in the run up to Remembrance Sunday when the shelter and memorial were attacked.

Mr Brown said: “The shelter has been recently vandalised with graffiti, which does not present a good image for the park and in general terms for the community.

“It should be noted that the shelter is relatively little used throughout the day but does attract use during the evening, mainly for underage drinking etc.”

Ronnie Kinloch, chair of the area committee, said: “It’s costing us money to remove the graffiti and continually repair the damage.

“Hopefully it will reduce vandalism of the war memorial.”