Historic Belvedere at Preston park 'deliberately destroyed'

The Grade II listed building, which has been a feature of the city centre park since 1875, was pictured yesterday with a balustrade missing from the roof.

And Preston Council has now criticised those responsible for "deliberately destroying" the historical property.

People took to social media site Facebook to comment on the damage, with many claiming the monument had been vandalised.

One user wrote: "It is now going to cost the people of Preston thousands of pounds to repair the damage you have caused. One day you will grow up and maybe you will think before you destroy something else."

Another said: "What makes them think that it is OK to destroy properties? There are always consequences and I hope that these idiots will pay out of their own purses to let them realise how much it costs to repair what they have destroyed in minutes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way but if only it did then they could reflect on their actions."

The incident has now been reported to the police after one side of the historic stonework appeared to have been broken off.

Preston council has now confirmed it is assessing the damage caused.

Ally Brown, Director of Communities and Environment at Preston Council, said: “Avenham and Miller Parks are the jewel in Preston’s crown, and are loved and visited by hundreds of people every week.

“So it’s frustrating and upsetting to see that a small number of people seemingly have deliberately destroyed historical property in this way. The damage has been reported to Lancashire Police.

“Our staff are fully assessing the extent of the damage.”

The Post has contacted Lancashire Police for a statement.