‘Open season for vandalism’ - Tadcaster resident

8:03am Friday 26th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

Ian Wilson, of Wharfe Bank Terrace, Tadcaster, with his house and what he describes as “wasteland” alongside it and to the rear Ian Wilson, of Wharfe Bank Terrace, Tadcaster, with his house and what he describes as “wasteland” alongside it and to the rear

VANDALS have been making the lives of residents a misery in a North Yorkshire town.

Tadcaster has been rocked by a spate of smashed windows and car vandalism over the past month leading to a call for greater urgency in tackling derelict areas.

Ian Wilson, of Wharfe Bank Terrace in the town, said his car had suffered £300-worth of damage alone in the past month due to youths clambering over it late at night.

Mr Wilson said he felt the number of derelict sites and empty buildings in the town was contributing to the problem, and highlighted a wasteland close to St Mary’s Church which had lain empty for years.

Mr Wilson said the area was an eyesore and was now a space where groups of youths congregated and hurled bricks through windows of nearby properties.

“It is disgusting,” he said. “It is open season for any kind of wanton vandalism.

“We call it the circle of death around here. The area has not been redeveloped for years and years – it has gone to rack and ruin. There is a lot of anger bubbling up.”

Mr Wilson called for more to be done to tackle the problem.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said: “Police have received reports of criminal damage to property in the Wharfe Bank area of Tadcaster over the past few days.

“This damage includes smashed windows and damage to a car.

“Investigations are currently ongoing into the incidents.

“This mindless behaviour is distressing for local people and will not be tolerated in our communities.”

She urged anyone with information about the incidents or who knows who is responsible to phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.

There have been previous vandalism problems in Tadcaster. In 2007 The Press reported a desperate plea from the then Mayor of Tadcaster, Coun Richard Sweeting, over problems with arson, graffitti and broken windows – leading to better lighting, improved CCTV coverage of the area and a police crackdown.

In 2001 The Press reported how 12 youngsters from the town had been publicly shamed in a new ploy by police and councillors to combat vandalism.

Comments(14)

Pete the Brickie says...
8:25am Fri 26 Oct 12

I'm surprised there's any crime in Tadcaster, there's certainly no shortage of police officers there, the long downhill stretch of dual carriageway just outside it is always very well policed on clear days, and the police station its self is always well manned when it's dark, raining or cold judging by the number of silver German made executive saloons with stripes down the side outside during the winter months.

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Stressed Out says...
8:29am Fri 26 Oct 12

This is all land and property owned by Sam Smiths. It has been like this since I came to the town 30 years ago. The centre of Tadcaster is dire, too many empty boarded up buildings, nothing will change until the brewery decide to invest and I can't see that happening whilst his lord and master is running it!!

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Pete the Brickie says...
9:16am Fri 26 Oct 12

Stressed Out wrote:
This is all land and property owned by Sam Smiths. It has been like this since I came to the town 30 years ago. The centre of Tadcaster is dire, too many empty boarded up buildings, nothing will change until the brewery decide to invest and I can't see that happening whilst his lord and master is running it!!
Yes it's in a good location, you can almost see the large, well manned police station from it.

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Ignatius Lumpopo says...
10:22am Fri 26 Oct 12

This article isn't about Tadcaster. It's about a place called "TadAcaster", according to the headline.

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Buzz Light-year says...
10:32am Fri 26 Oct 12

Yeah there are similar problems in Selaby, Copamanthorpe, New Earsawick and Haxaby.

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CHISSY1 says...
10:33am Fri 26 Oct 12

Pete the Brickie wrote:
Stressed Out wrote:
This is all land and property owned by Sam Smiths. It has been like this since I came to the town 30 years ago. The centre of Tadcaster is dire, too many empty boarded up buildings, nothing will change until the brewery decide to invest and I can't see that happening whilst his lord and master is running it!!
Yes it's in a good location, you can almost see the large, well manned police station from it.
"You seriously want to get help before its to late,or maybe it is."

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ClueDog says...
10:36am Fri 26 Oct 12

'We call it the circle of death around here'. Well quite: it looks like Aleppo on a bad day.

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Pete the Brickie says...
11:15am Fri 26 Oct 12

CHISSY1 wrote:
Pete the Brickie wrote:
Stressed Out wrote:
This is all land and property owned by Sam Smiths. It has been like this since I came to the town 30 years ago. The centre of Tadcaster is dire, too many empty boarded up buildings, nothing will change until the brewery decide to invest and I can't see that happening whilst his lord and master is running it!!
Yes it's in a good location, you can almost see the large, well manned police station from it.
"You seriously want to get help before its to late,or maybe it is."
Who needs it most though, the person who comments regularly on a subject they have an active interest in or the person who just comments on the first person's comments?

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CHISSY1 says...
1:38pm Fri 26 Oct 12

Pete the Brickie wrote:
CHISSY1 wrote:
Pete the Brickie wrote:
Stressed Out wrote:
This is all land and property owned by Sam Smiths. It has been like this since I came to the town 30 years ago. The centre of Tadcaster is dire, too many empty boarded up buildings, nothing will change until the brewery decide to invest and I can't see that happening whilst his lord and master is running it!!
Yes it's in a good location, you can almost see the large, well manned police station from it.
"You seriously want to get help before its to late,or maybe it is."
Who needs it most though, the person who comments regularly on a subject they have an active interest in or the person who just comments on the first person's comments?
"Active interest in",you are seriously in need of help,what are after,sympathy".

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Pete the Brickie says...
2:20pm Fri 26 Oct 12



CHISSY1 says...
1:38pm Fri 26 Oct 12

Active interest in",you are seriously in need of help,what are after,sympathy



CHISSY, if I were ever in need of assistance, help, encouragement or inspiration to continue lampooning the police on here I know you will always be there for me.

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Sillybillies says...
4:27pm Fri 26 Oct 12

Isn't North Yorkshire a virtually crime free zone according to the bragging of the North Yorkshire Police Farce and the soon to be defunct Police Authority?

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bob the builder says...
8:48pm Fri 26 Oct 12

They will be local so someone can identify them, but due to 'human rights' you can't publicly do that. The law protects the guilty and hurts the innocent!

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Magicman! says...
1:25am Sun 28 Oct 12

Isn't that blokes house on Wharfe Bank Mews, not Wharfe Bank Terrace?

Anyways, Tadcaster is probably suffering the Small Town Syndrome, whereby an increasing number of chavs in the area cause trouble, and it seems worse because it is concentrated in a small area.

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bonobo says...
12:35pm Sun 28 Oct 12

and of course the problem has nothing to do with the drug that Tadcaster produces ...until the culture of acceptance of the wide spread use of alcohol changes in this country , then these problems will continue
And until the police in Tadcaster start doing their job things then the problems will only increase

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