A councillor is calling for stronger punishment after human waste, toilet paper was strewn across a town park.

Cllr Steve Tierney said a “bike gang” had tipped over portaloos, threw metal barriers and spilt toilet paper across Wisbech Park as the town’s WisBEACH Rock Festival came to a close.

Cllr Tierney, a Wisbech town councillor who volunteered at the event, said the ‘gang’ had returned after volunteers cleared the park and left on August 8.

He said: “Initially they stayed at the bandstand end of the park, because volunteers were all in the main park area.

“We put the portaloos back straight again and when we had finally finished, the park was spotless and all the rubbish in bins ready for collection in the morning.

“But we could see them still hanging around at the edges of the park, waiting.”

Cambridgeshire police were called, but Cllr Tierney said they did not come to help, and that volunteers and council staff cleared the area on Monday.

Wisbech Standard: Cllr Steve Tierney said action must be taken now to tackle anti-social behaviour in Wisbech after human waste and toilet paper were strewn across the town park.Cllr Steve Tierney said action must be taken now to tackle anti-social behaviour in Wisbech after human waste and toilet paper were strewn across the town park. (Image: Kim Taylor)

The district and county councillor hopes that the ‘gang’, which he said has been responsible for previous anti-social behaviour in Wisbech, should be punished more severely.

He added: “The vast majority of young people are upstanding members of our community and nothing like these petty criminals.

“I appreciate that the police may have ‘bigger fish to fry’ than some wayward young vandals, but today's wayward young vandals can sometimes grow into tomorrow's violent criminals.

“If there is never any ‘consequence’ to their behaviour, then some will go down a path that will ruin their lives.”

A Cambridgeshire police spokesperson said: “We were called just before 9pm on Sunday with reports of a group of teenagers causing criminal damage at Wisbech Park, Lynn Road.

"A crime has been raised for criminal damage, namely damaging metal barriers at the site, and investigations are ongoing."

The spokesperson said the force remains "committed to protecting the most vulnerable people and identifying those most at risk of harm when making demand decisions".

Anyone with information is urged to contact police via their web chat service on: https://bit.ly/3vsiYDw or online forms at: https://www.cambs.police.uk/report/Report quoting reference 35/52642/21.

Anyone without internet access should call 101 and dial 999 in an emergency.