North coast vandalism is no picnic for Council

VANDALS caused £1,000 worth of damage to five picnic tables at one of the north coast’s most scenic locations - Portaneevey carpark which is a popular spot with tourists as it overlooks the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.

Moyle Council officer Aidan McPeake said it was not established if all five tables had been damaged at the same time.

Cllr Joan Baird said the damage was a “disgrace” and Cllr Padraig McShane said the picnic tables had been in a poor condition for quite some time and he wondered whether the damage was through vandalism or ill-repair.

Moyle Council Chairperson, Cllr Cara McShane, said: “It is one of our prime spots for tour operators for people to take pictures of the Rope Bridge.”

Councillors were also told the Council was left with a loss of £1,000 after a store was broken into and a compressor stolen at Carneatly Amenity Site near Ballycastle.

Cllr Seamus Blaney said it seemed to be that, almost every month, Carneatly is broken into and he said security needs reviewed.

£250 was also caused after a picnic table was burned at Riverside Park, Armoy.

Cllr Robert McIlroy questioned why some picnic tables come with metal areas for barbecues saying there is a chance if the barbecue is too big that the table will be burned. Cllr Donal Cunningham said he heard a story that someone bought a disposable barbecue and were baffled that it did not come with meat!