Hope for gas lights is fading due to vandals

7:00pm Friday 30th March 2007

Comments (1)   Have your say »

Bournemouth's last surviving gas lamps could be lost to future generations following a spate of attacks by vandals.

In a desperate bid to save the atmospheric lamps, which still light up parts of Throop and Holdenhurst, one concerned civic leader is calling on residents to be vigilant.

"Someone must have seen those responsible," ward councillor Ron Whittaker said. "This is deliberate vandalism. There have been endless attacks to gas lamp heads in Throop and repairing them is causing considerable cost to the local authority.

"How anyone can get enjoyment from this blatant destruction is beyond me. These people seem to be out to destroy a very important part of our local history."

He added: "The lamps are part of the attraction of Holdenhurst and Throop, which is within a conservation area and the only remaining area of Bournemouth with original gas lights."

Cllr Whittaker is enlisting the help of residents in the hope of stamping out the attacks. He said: "We are urging them to keep a close eye and have also asked the police to help catch those responsible. Some units have been damaged as soon as they have been repaired."

In an email to Cllr Whittaker, the council's lighting project manager Chris Hardy revealed that one unit in Throop Road, which has been repaired three times since last November, had been removed once more for further repairs.

Another lamp vandalised last month needed to have its glass replaced and a Holdenhurst Road unit had been targeted by vandals in December.

He said: "Obviously this is an on-going problem. I am investigating alternative glazing types with our contractor although when we tried before these were not very successful."