Express & Star

Anger as wheel-spinning yobs rip up freshly-laid grass in Wolverhampton

Wheel-spinning yobs have driven over and destroyed newly-laid grass leaving it looking like churned up farmland.

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The grass had been placed at the end of Dunkley Street in the city.

Since it was laid however, large vehicles have driven over the turf, turning it into a quagmire of mud and ripping the grass to shreds.

The patch, which is located close to Asda, still has the grooves and tyre marks from the vehicle visible in the dirt, with the top layer of grass sheared off.

Now, the majority of the grass lies on the surrounding brickwork, where presumably it will die in the plummeting temperatures.

Earlier this year, Swan Park, in Essington, was struck by vandals for the second time after they tore up surfacing within the children's play area.

Wolverhampton's West Park also underwent £150,000 worth of refurbishment to its children's play area, though a historic shelter which is believed to have been built in the 1800s was burned to the ground shortly after work began.

Councillor Mike Hardacre, of Park Ward, said: "This sort of mindless, careless vandalism when we are trying to keep the city looking beautiful and green is just really unhelpful and I hope that the perpetrators are caught and dealt with severely."

Councillor Craig Collingswood also representing Park ward said: "It looks absolutely awful. It looks like it has been run over by a heavy goods vehicle.

"It's such a shame because grass verges like this are put in place to improve the aesthetics of an area and are there for local residents to enjoy and take pride in.

"When large vehicles do things such as this they show no concern for local residents and a total lack of care.

"Looking at it now it's clear the whole thing will have to be taken up and completely relaid because clearly nothing can be salvaged from that mess."

In March this year, dozens of trees were planted along grass verges in Wednesbury in a bid to prevent motorists driving over them and causing damage.

Up to 30 trees were installed by the roadside in Hawthorn Road and Myvod Road, in Wednesbury, after angry residents contacted councillors to take action.

They said huge tyre tracks were visible across the grass verges, with many being left in a muddy mess because of drivers parking on them.

The trees have been planted in the middle of the grass verges to prevent cars from pulling onto the kerb. It is hoped that grass will also grow back around the trees.

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