{"id":71123,"date":"2023-01-17T15:45:32","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T15:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/?p=71123"},"modified":"2023-01-17T15:45:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T15:45:34","slug":"fires-needles-and-loud-music-the-reality-of-life-next-to-cardiffs-antisocial-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/thecardiffian\/2023\/01\/17\/fires-needles-and-loud-music-the-reality-of-life-next-to-cardiffs-antisocial-park\/","title":{"rendered":"Fires, needles and loud music… the reality of life next to Cardiff\u2019s \u2018antisocial park\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018Would you like it next to your back garden at night?\u2019 asks one resident about Thompson\u2019s Park<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fires burning late at night, needles left on park benches, loud music until all hours and even people having sex… that’s the reality of living next to Cardiff’s Thompson’s Park according to one resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a view not shared by everyone in the community, but one man contacted The Cardiffian to describe the level of anti-social behaviour that led council officials to lock up the park for extended periods over Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cardiff council decided to start closing the park at 3.45pm on December 12 after a rise in reports of antisocial behaviour in the area. Now Canton\u2019s community is torn over whether Thompson\u2019s Park should be open all hours. Cardiff Council is reviewing the locking policy and is currently locking the park shortly before sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mike Sparkes of Greenfield Avenue, which is right next door to the park, contacted The Cardiffian describing the anti-social behaviour he frequently witnesses at Thompson\u2019s Park at night. He was one of many residents who wrote to the council asking for the park to be locked earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe put up with, on a regular basis, youths fighting, shouting loudly in the early hours of the morning, playing loud music, people having sex, alcoholics drinking from bottles and drug taking,\u201d he said. \u201cThe needles are left on the bench where children sit at the back of the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFires are lit in there and we see the smoke rising at night regularly. It\u2019s such a worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not good enough,\u201d he added. \u201cWould you like it next to your back garden at night? Some poor father was shouting through the fence for them to be quiet as he was trying to get his baby to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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