Spalding Civic Society has welcomed a court telling a 17-year-old who damaged a statue in the town to pay for its repair.
The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, pleaded guilty to breaking part of The Hiring statue in Hall Place on November 6 last year.
He was given a 12-month conditional discharge, but was also ordered to pay the nearly £700 cost of the damage.
The statue is part of the MARK-IT Trail which aims to act as a reminder of parts of the town’s past, and was installed by Spalding and District Civic Society.
Its chairman John Bland said the youth had broken off part of the staff of The Hiring which represents the hiring of a shepherd which used to take place at annual fairs in that location.
“The society reported the incident to the police, who reviewed the footage and were quickly able to identify when the incident occurred and were able to make a positive identification of the suspect and make an arrest, and subsequently charged the offender,” Mr Bland said.
“It is regrettable that the youth now has a criminal record as a result of a thoughtless act of mindless vandalism.
“The outcome of this case demonstrates that it is always worth reporting incidences to the police, as the CCTV system in Spalding town centre was instrumental in identifying the offender.
“We appreciate the award to the society made by the court for full compensation for the cost of repairs.
“Once you account for labour and materials, the cost of undertaking repairs mounts up.
“Spalding and District Civic Society does not have a magic money tree to cover the cost of thoughtless acts such as this and if it happens again, we will have no hesitation in seeking justice.
“We hope that the offender will choose to avoid a potential custodial sentence by making full amends so that we can undertake the necessary repairs.
“Hopefully the outcome will send a clear message to those who are responsible for the feeling that many have that the town is not safe at nights that poor behaviour in our town will not be tolerated whether it is at night or during the day. Spalding and District Civic Society would like to thank Lincolnshire Police for their assistance in dealing with this incident.”
