ACTION has been taken by the police and High Peak Borough Council after offensive graffiti was discovered.
In one of three incidents reported, the walls, supporting posts, toilet door and surface of the Pavilion Gardens car park had all been vandalised and daubed with racist remarks.
Sergeant Russ Barlow of Buxton police said: "We will not tolerate cr
iminal damage, racism or other hate crime. This sort of behaviour is very offensive to visitors and local people who use the car parks and public areas around the town."
The police investigation led to a 16-year-old youth receiving a final warning. He will have to appear at a police clinic for young offenders this month. Another 16-year-old boy was questioned by police and released without charge.
High Peak Borough Council has written to all senior school headteachers in Buxton to alert them to these incidents and to encourage any young people who witness similar incidents to report them to the police.
Councillor Andrew Bingham, High Peak Borough Council's Executive Member for Community and Social Development, said: "The council is committed to ensuring good relations between all sections of the community and has a duty to record and monitor hate incidents.
"During the last two months we have received a number of reports and have recorded and dealt with three separate incidents. The most recent of which was 19 January 2008. The graffiti on that occasion was racist and homophobic in nature.
"We are aware that the car park is an area where young people congregate and our leisure services team have carried out activities in this area, in the past, with High Peak Community Arts to keep them occupied."
* Anyone who witnesses any incidents of graffiti or other criminal damage should contact the police on 0845 123 33 33 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They can also contact High Peak Borough Council on 0845 129 77 77.
The full article contains 326 words and appears in Buxton Advertiser newspaper.
