TEENS who destroyed a park bench will now be carrying out work to make up for their actions.

A bench at Winsford Town Park was vandalised by a group of teenagers who have now been identified by police.

John Malam, chair of the volunteer-led group Friends of Winsford Town Park, requested the youths be made to help out at the park rather than be punished.

He said: “The FOWTP have an interest in making sure the benches are looked after and maintained.

“My immediate response was that if we could identify those responsible I recommended we didn’t want to bring any charges that bring a stain on their characters.

“We needed to find some other way of working with them.

“We really do believe this has got a positive outcome, we don’t want them to feel they are given a punishment but to realise that this is everybody’s park and we have all got to look after it.

“This way they can positively contribute to the life of the park.”

Northwich Guardian: The bench vandalised by the youths had to be disassembled and repaired by FOWTP before being reinstalledThe bench vandalised by the youths had to be disassembled and repaired by FOWTP before being reinstalled (Image: John Malam)

CCTV footage captured by Winsford Town Council caught the vandalising the bench on July 12.

Cheshire Police spoke with local schools and were soon able to identify the three boys, all aged 14, responsible.

They will now work with FOWTP to paint benches around the park.

Mr Malam explained that incidents such as this are unfortunately quite common.

He said: “There is ongoing, relatively minor, vandalism.

“It is the sort of vandalism that is annoying. You just think why would anyone want to vandalise a bench, or damage a planting area or throw a trolley in the pond.

“Theres no easy answer to that other than to accept it does happen.”

Northwich Guardian: The youths will join FOWTP in painting the park's benches. Pictured is volunteer Colin Walsh The youths will join FOWTP in painting the park's benches. Pictured is volunteer Colin Walsh (Image: John Malam)

Mr Malam added: “This bench has been completely restored and is now back in place.

“It’s not the first bench that’s had to be repaired, it is probably the fourth or fifth that has been vandalised.

“It is not something that has happened all in one go, but benches have been targeted intermittently over a period of several years.

“Where possible they have been repaired and returned to the park.”

FOWTP has also purchased two benches for the park, one of which was named ‘Our Bench’ by a group of local teenagers who asked for more places to sit.

Northwich Guardian: Volunteer Danny Weedall takes a break after repairing another bench which had been vandalised Volunteer Danny Weedall takes a break after repairing another bench which had been vandalised (Image: John Malam)