The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A grandfather fears his grandchildren or pet dog could be seriously hurt after a steel-tipped foot long arrow was shot into the garden where they play.
The incident is the latest in a spate of ant-social behaviour blighting the home of the man and his partner, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
In another incident at their Beaufort Drive home, a rock was thrown so hard at their greenhouse it smashed in through the roof, bounced on the ground and smashed the glass on it’s way out too.
But the pensioner, who is a keen gardener, said the police’s response to the incidents have left him angry.
He said: “After I found the arrow I called 101 but I got the impression they were not really concerned or interested.
“She said it could just be someone shooting birds, as though that made it all OK, and then she said she would have a word with the Grammar School to see if it had come from there.
“She told me if I wanted to take the arrow to Spalding police station they would dispose of it for me.
“She didn’t even take my details.
“It was the same when we reported the rock through the greenhouse – the police suggested we could move the greenhouse.”
The house is separated from the Grammar School field by a disused railway line and the embankments and arches have become a place for people to congregate.
The 74-year-old eventually received a visit on Friday from a PCSO to discuss his concerns after reporting the incident at Spalding Police Station.
He added: “The PCSO was sympathetic about the arrow and said they were aware of the problems of anti-social behaviour but said it was a difficult thing to deal with.
“There are groups of them there all the time, from seven or eight-year-olds to adults.
“They are intimidating and the language is awful.
“I really don’t want my grandchildren to hear or see that and if they had been here when the arrow or rock – which was bigger than a cricket ball – came in it could have been really nasty.
“The arrow is a professional steel-tipped one and it could kill someone if it hit them.
“We like to spend a lot of time in the garden but this makes us wary of being out there.”
South Holland Community Policing Inspector Jo Reeves said: “Police have been made aware of ongoing anti-social behaviour in the area which has culminated in a resident finding an arrow within his garden.
“At this time it is not known if the arrow was thrown over the fence or fired over with a bow. Clearly either way could have resulted in injury and the matter is being taken seriously.
“We are looking into the resident’s concerns that his call was not taken seriously. All calls into the police are recorded, whether an incident is created or not.”
