A Carlisle City Counicllor has suggested having surveillance equipment installed at Rickerby Park.

Stanwix Councillor Elizabeth Mallinson said the latest spate of vandal attacks at Rickerby Park were the “last straw”, and that she is discussing the idea of having CCTV cameras put in place there with her colleagues.

It was reported last week that vandals had targeted Eden Bridge Gardens, climbing its roof and damaging paving slabs and steps.

There were also reports of graffiti in adjoining areas, including Bitts Park.

“I’m exceptionally cross,” said Cllr Mallinson.

“This is an ongoing issue and a lot of people, including councillors and Friends of Rickerby Park do a lot of work to make sure the garden looks beautiful.

“Graffiti has been an issue here for a number of years, but certainly in the last couple of months it's been really bad all over Stanwix. It costs the council a lot of money to sort it out.

“We’re all very proud of this park. It has a history stretching back to the 12th century.

“We expect people to respect other peoples’ property but we don’t live in a police state and to put up cameras is, I feel, the last resort.

Rickerby was an estate given by Henry I, with other land, to Richard Tilliol in the early 12th century.

After the First World War, The Carlisle Citizens League proposed that the park should serve as a ‘living memorial’ to fallen servicemen, and in 1920-22 it was altered to form a war memorial park.

Eden Bridge Gardens, sometimes known as the Italian Gardens or Chinese Gardens, was designed by landscape architect Edward Prentice Mawson and opened in 1933.

Cllr Mallinson added: “People should have the moral fibre not to destroy or vandalise the property in the park, especially as it is a memorial for our fallen soldiers.

“I’m very grateful to the police for the help they have given and we will bring the issue of vandalism up and how we can contain it in our next meeting.”

Cllr Mallinson is also a Cumbria County Council member and a member of the Local Committee for Carlisle, which makes decisions on a range of matters affecting the local area.

Cumbria Police have asked anyone who has witnessed any vandalism to contact them through 101 or 101emails@cumbria.police.uk.