Extract from the September 2011 Neighbourhood Newsletter for Chadsmead – issued by Lichfield Police

"You said: Youths congregating causing anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and drinking alcohol in Beacon park is an issue."  

"We did: Due to several incidents of criminal damage to security fencing as the park undergoes major construction work, it has been included in "Operation Safer Nights" where we have increased patrols every Friday and Saturday night.This has deterred youths from using the park to consume alcohol and resulted in a reduction in anti-social behaviour. Along with park rangers, we regularly walk through the park giving advice to groups of youths about their behaviour and how to treat the park with respect.

Lichfield District Council's environmental health department have been issuing fines to people caught littering."

• We are pleased that Beacon Park has been included in "Operation Safer Nights". This has contained the anti-social behaviour. During the summer school holidays, under-age drinking seems to have been displaced to Pipe Green Common. On one Sunday morning, six 75 litre compost bags full of bottles and crushed beer cans were removed from Pipe Green. On a number of previous weekends, volunteers collected alcohol containers and litter from the common;
• The scheduled completion date for the upgrade of Beacon Park was May 2011. Had the construction work met this deadline, all security fencing would have been removed prior to the start of the school holidays;
• At our 2011 AGM, a local resident said that she had repeatedly phoned and emailed the District Council warning about anti-social behaviour and irresponsible use of the play equipment – "you don't want to know what goes on in the rocket!"