Burngreen should be monitored by CCTV

A Kilsyth councillor says it is now time for the Burngreen to be covered by CCTV after a poignant tribute to fallen First World War soldiers was vandalised at New Year.
The Tommy statue in Kilsyth was discovered to have been bent out of shape on New Years DayThe Tommy statue in Kilsyth was discovered to have been bent out of shape on New Years Day
The Tommy statue in Kilsyth was discovered to have been bent out of shape on New Years Day

The ‘Tommy’ statue shows an outline of a soldier with the rifle and helmet as they would have looked in the trenches.

A total of nine statues were unveiled across North Lanarkshire in time for Remembrance Sunday as part of the ‘There But Not There’ campaign which aims to raise awareness of the sacrifice shown by more than 800,000 British and Commonwealth troops who died in the conflict.

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Unfortunately it was discovered on New Year’s Day that the statue had been bent out of shape.

It has since been repaired, but Kilsyth councillor Mark Kerr has called for the area to be monitored to stamp out any more incidents of anti-social behaviour.

He said: “The start of a new year has been overshadowed by the desecration of our newest memorial to those who served us in the greatest way.

“It is being investigated whether the act was deliberate or if someone just bumped into it, but given the statue is pretty sturdy and it was all pulled in the same direction I think we can assume that someone was hanging off it.

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“I’m glad it has now been repaired, but it shouldn’t have happened in the first place and I am calling for Burngreen to be covered by CCTV.

“There aren’t many towns nowadays, particularly in North Lanarkshire, who still have such a splendid park right in their centre and we cannot let it fall victim to such incidents in future.

“At present only Main Street and Market Square are monitored by CCTV, but Burngreen is the jewel in our crown and needs protected.”