Newport sandbag shed vandalised after one day

The shed was installed by authorities on 'Muddy Lane' between Pont Faen Road and Broadmead Park.

As it was placed at the lowest part of Lliswerry, some might say that it was the ideal place for such a unit.

However, a mere day after it was installed at the beginning of the month, it was vandalised.

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The doors of the shed were smashed open and the wisdom of placing the shed there has been called into question.

Andrew Sterry, plan lead for the Lliswerry Flood Prevention Group (LFPG), said: "We're not 100 per cent sure who carried out the installation or whose idea it was to put there in the first place.

"It's a shame as I wish the authorities that installed it could have spoken to the Lliswerry Flood Prevention Group first as we would have told them not to install it there as it was obvious that it would be vandalised.

"We would have requested permission to install it in the local community  centre which is based at Moorland park not a two minute walk from where it was installed.

"We fully understand the idea why it was needed at this location  as this is the lowest point in Lliswerry and possibly Newport - we had flooding at this point before."

It is unclear when or if the shed will be repaired or replaced.

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LFPG have recently been campaigning to get space for a storage container of their own to be filled with flood defence equipment.

Mr Sterry believes that this case of vandalism and the thinking process behind the placement of the shed only proves that the group need their own dedicated space for flood defence equipment.

"If the residents needed access to these sand bags we would have to wait until the council came out and unlocked the container," said Mr Sterry.

"It would be far better if a councillor or residents of the flood group who actually live in the area had access, then we could react straight away to any potential flooding.  

"This is why the Lliswerry Flood Prevention Group are looking for a place to store a large container that cannot be easily vandalised and can be managed by the residents.

"We can set up a task force who can deal with the potential flooding immediately and hopefully prevent any homes flooding in the area."

A spokeswoman for Newport City Council said: "We are very disappointed that a community resource such as this has been vandalised.

"The whole point of putting them in visible locations is so they can be used when needed.

"We are now looking for a more secure location for this facility."