Picnic bench damaged by careless barbecue party revellers in children's play area on a Sleaford nature reserve

Sleaford police are appealing for information after a picnic bench in a children's play area on a nature reserve was damaged by careless boozing revellers.
The scorched bench seat from the barbecue party at Mareham Pastures. EMN-171204-111104001The scorched bench seat from the barbecue party at Mareham Pastures. EMN-171204-111104001
The scorched bench seat from the barbecue party at Mareham Pastures. EMN-171204-111104001

The fire damage is said to have been done between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday evening, April 9, in the fenced off play area at Mareham Pastures.

The award-winning nature reserve is maintained by a committee of volunteers who have put in all the benches and features on the site with support from the county council and charitable groups.

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Chairman of the Friends of Mareham Pastures, Mark Suffield said: “It seems some people had a party there and put a disposable barbecue on the seats of the solid oak bench. It cooked away and burned all the way through the planks and will probably caused quite a lot of damage to the wooden seating on one side of the bench. It will probably cost a couple of hundred pounds to get it put right,” he said.

“But there were also lots of empty and full bottle of alcohol left lying around in the play area.”

He said there had been other incidents of anti-social behaviour earlier this year too.

Mr Suffield said they have contacted the bench manufacturer to get it replaced as soon as possible.

Any witnesses should call police on 101 quoting incident 267 of 11/04/2017.