Park struggles to shake off tarnished reputation

Preston’s Moor Park, the city’s oldest and most prestigious park has developed a reputation for crime, sexual assaults and degradation in recent years.

In May 2007, Moor Park put Preston on Europe’s Musical map when it hosted Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the largest free music event of its kind, with 35,000 revellers attending the festival over two days.

But since then, a host of incidents of crime, sexual assault and illicit sexual activities has seen the Park’s reputation plummet.

2008 has seen a number of crime incidents in Moor Park.

Ms Sara Cuff, 37, who used to live on St Thomas’ Road opposite the park has now moved to Lea because of her experiences of living near to the park.

‘I didn’t use the park very much because I had the impression it was dangerous. Once I was walking through with my baby in a pram and I was followed by a man in the bushes along the footpath.”

“Everytime I went on after that I felt vulnerable and threatened, and that was during the day. It gets ten times worse at night.”

“Worse at night”

“Often kids used to throw stones at houses and play with fireworks. I even saw a youth driving a motorcycle in the children’s play area.”

In response to the council’s decision to cut funding to it's parks, Ms. Cuff stated that: “Security and funding needs to be stepped up if anything. The park is in an awful state.”

Jody Fairclough, a 19 year old student from Ashton, says that she avoids the Park and once saw a man lurking in the bushes when she was walking home one night.

“Everything bad that can happen seems to happen on Moor Park. It’s not a nice place.”

Largest and oldest park

Moor Park was created in 1235 as Preston Moor by Henry III, Moor Park was one of the first public parks in the country. It was a town meeting place before it became a municipal park in 1833.

It is Preston’s largest and oldest park but in recent times it has slipped far behind Avenham and Haslam Park in the list of the cities favourite parks.

And with budget cutbacks, less security checks and no permanent Park Ranger, it appears Moor Park will struggle to repair its reputation any time in the near future.