Ratepayers' £45k bill to repair vandalised Christmas trees

Ratepayers in the north west will have to pick up the bill of almost £50,000 for the repairs to Christmas decorations damaged by vandals in Londonderry and Strabane.

On Wednesday, Derry City and Strabane District Council's environment committee approved a payment of £45,274 to cover the cost of vandalism over the festive period.

Trees at Derry's Waterloo Place, Guildhall Square and Ebrington Square and in Strabane and Castlederg were all damaged in separate incidents, the committee was told.

A council report also recommended setting aside a further £40,000 to cover the cost of potential repairs this Christmas.

Speaking at the meeting, Ulster Unionist councillor Derek Hussey asked if employing security staff for Christmas trees would be a more cost effective option for the local authority.

He said footing the repair bills "prevents other provision that we as a council could be and should be providing throughout the area".

Councillors were told that netting had been placed on the trees outside the Guildhall and at Waterloo Place to act as a deterrent.

But further damage was caused by people climbing into the trees.

The council's report reveals that it cost more than £30,000 to repair the damage to those two trees alone.

Decorations in the centre of Londonderry have been vandalised repeatedly over recent years.

The report said "it would be prudent to set aside £40k" to cover cost of Christmas decoration vandalism in the coming year.

It also confirmed that over the festive period of 2021/22, the council had paid more than £47,000 to repair damage to Christmas decorations.

At that time, the then mayor of the city warned that the council was debating whether barricades could be erected around the civic decorations.

The council said it was receiving reports of damage "on a daily basis".

At Wednesday's meeting, the ongoing seasonal damage was widely condemned.

SDLP councillor John Boyle said ratepayers were covering a needless cost due to "a minority of people who can't leave things alone".

"It is important the message goes out to people, please just leave these things alone, let everyone have nice things," Boyle said.

DUP councillor Julie Middleton said people, many of whom struggle to pay their rates , were being forced to pay for the "actions of a small minority of thoughtless, careless and irresponsible people", while Sinn Féin's Emma McGinley said she was "disgusted".

"Those people who go out and decide to ruin things other people really enjoy want to catch themselves on," she said.