Group 'devastated' after picnic bench destroyed

The chair of a community group said she was "absolutely devastated" after a wheelchair-friendly picnic bench was destroyed at a park in Chesterfield.

Derbyshire Police said it was called to reports a bench had been set on fire at Badger Park, off Newbold Back Lane, just before 23:30 BST on Tuesday, with the fire service also in attendance.

Katherine Hollingworth, councillor for Brockwell and chair of the Friends of Badger Park Group said there had been other acts of vandalism at the park after it was given a £50,000 revamp following the Covid pandemic.

Police said no arrests had been made and inquiries were ongoing.

Hollingworth told the BBC the reactions of members of the community group ranged from "so angry it's unbelievable" to "devastated".

The Liberal Democrat councillor said two of the four benches installed in spring 2025 had now been destroyed and it would cost up to £5,000 to replace them, including ground work and resurfacing.

She said the community was "amazing" and put in a lot of work to make the park a family space but recalled incidents such as a community orchard being vandalised.

"We get these mindless acts of vandalism, which is just devastating," she said.

"I just don't understand why people feel the need to destroy something that's for the benefit of the community. I am beyond words with it."

On social media, Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield described the damage to the bench as "appalling vandalism".

Chesterfield Borough Council said it was "disappointed" by the damage.

A spokesperson added: "Our environmental services team responded quickly this morning to clear the site of debris and ensure residents could still enjoy the park.

"If anyone has information about this incident, please report it to Derbyshire Constabulary.

"We will continue to work with our partners to determine the most appropriate way to try and prevent future damage to this site."

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