Young vandals have smashed up Nantwich town centre’s “pillory” just off Pillory Street today (May 1).
Furious Nantwich Town Cllr Stuart Bostock said the incident was just another example of “anti-social behaviour blighting our town”.
It’s believed the damage was caused by two youths, but this has not been confirmed by police.
Cllr Bostock said: “I received a call from Denise at Nantwich Bookshop about the damage and visited the area accompanied by Cllr Arthur Moran to find the debris. How to enjoy your Bank Holiday eh?
“We were ably assisted by Alex and Abigail from the Crown Hotel and Simon from the Coral Reef Chip Shop to move the heavy timber to the yard of the shop until we can organise repairs.
“All of the above deserve our grateful thanks.
“But this just another fine example of the level of antisocial behaviour currently blighting our town.
“Any information to help identify the culprits would be gratefully appreciated.”
Nantwich town centre PCSO Lee Berry is looking into the incident.
The pillory, similar to stocks, is a replica and it was a method of punishment used centuries ago for criminals.
More recently, the replica has been used as part of the annual Holly Holy Day commemoration of the 1644 Battle of Nantwich in the First English Civil War.
Pete Allcock, where’s the evidence of mindless vandalism? It’s just been implied by a couple of councillors on the hunt for votes off by jumping on the ‘Feral Nantwich youth” bandwagon.
Look at the thickness of that wood, you won’t find anything that thick holding up the roof in your house. Kids couldn’t break that if it was sound. That wood has obviously gone mushy sitting in water for decades, it’s a clean break at the bottom no splinters, that only happens if the wood is completely rotten.
It may well have been kids that leant against it, but could have been anyone leaning against it and it’d have fallen. And yes the council are at fault for not maintaining it, they’re just luckily it didn’t fall on someone earlier.
So Pete Allcock, what proof do you have it was “mindless vandalism”? Maybe they were playing on it and it snapped because it’s rotten. You seem to be a guilty until proven innocent kind of chap. Did you see it happen? Do you have video evidence? Are you from Cheshire Police and leaking information from the investigation?
That’s implying that the council are at fault. Yes, I may have been in need of some maintenance. But that does not excuses the mindless vandalism by these scumbags
Wet sponges? Brick ends would be more appropriate
Dabber Dave – well said. If it were robust and well maintained it couldn’t have simply been pushed over and snapped.
Look at those photos and you can clearly see the wood is rotten. No way could a couple of youths be able to break a piece of wood that thick. That’s snapped off cleanly so was a health and safety hazard, just lucky no one was hurt.
Maybe the councillor should have been furious about it’s condition beforehand rather than trying to make mileage on unconfirmed anti social behaviour by youths. But with an election on Thursday any tenuous story is worth a shot.
You can tell the post is rotting, so not sure how much pressure it would have taken to break. Did anyone actually observe an incident of anti social behaviour? All seems a little vague. The article mentions youths twice but no details of an actual incident.
Problem we have is there parents will probably be just like them and won’t care or respect anything …. Or say not my sweet boy ….. put them in the stocks in the town centre for all to see … this town is a disgrace now with the youths around as they have no respect for anyone or anything and the police never do anything the most they’d get is a telling off …. It’s a joke
I entirely agree.
If they have to pay for the damage they will think twice before they do anything again.
I day in the stocks would be appropriate
Nantwich town is now on a downward spiral unless something drastic is done
It would seem we need a greater and obvious police presence in the town.
IF & WHEN these youths are found, they should be made to assist with the repairs, paying all costs. Then the Town should put them in the ‘stocks’ and people could pay to throw wet sponges at them for a whole day. Then the courts could deal with them.