THIEVES and vandals have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to York’s parking pay and display machines over the past year.

A Freedom of Information request to City of York Council has revealed that there were five incidents of robbery or vandalism in the first eight months of the current financial year up to last November.

And the authority has confirmed that yet another machine, located in the Bishopthorpe Road car park, has also been attacked in just the past few days.

The FoI request shows that in the four years 2013 to 2017, the authority had to spend a total of only £1,174 on repairs to its machines.

During this time, there was a total of seven incidents of theft and vandalism, with three in the first year, one in 2014/15, one in 2015/16 and two in 2016/17. No money is thought to have been stolen in all that time.

But in the current financial year, which started on April 1, 2017, there have been five incidents in which a total of £332 is believed to have been stolen, and with the authority left facing a bill for £13,559 to repair the damage.

A council spokeswoman said that unfortunately, York’s machines had experienced a number of thefts and vandal attacks over the past two years, with car parks targeted including the ones in Union Terrace, Fossbank and Heworth.

She said another machine, in Bishopthorpe Road Car Park, had also recently been drilled.

“This is currently under investigation by the police but if anyone has any information regarding this incident, please notify the police, quoting incident number NYP-12032018-0186.

“As a result of these incidents, we have either needed to replace machines or parts.

“As the machines are emptied regularly, there is usually very little money lost in comparison to the takings.” She said police had unfortunately been unsuccessful in bringing any prosecutions so far.