The parents of four children were left outraged after they found obscene graffiti written on a park bench in the play area at Decoy Country Park, Newton Abbot – and despite complaining to the district authority it was still there a month on. The offensive scrawl was eventually removed on Wednesday morning by Teignbridge Council staff. Andrew and Kirsty Perryman, from Buckfastleigh, went to the park for a day out last month with their children Samantha,7; Joseph, 5; Daniel 4; and Cleo four months. They were horrified to see extremely vulgar language written on the bench, which is situated behind the climbing frame in the play area. They were even more shocked that their daughter read out the offensive language, written on the wooden bench in thick black marker pen. Mr Perryman immediately phoned the park office and got through to an answering machine which directed him to call an emergency phone line which he then called. 'The man who answered the emergency line was gobsmacked when I said to him what was said on the bench,' said Mr Perryman. 'He said that the graffiti would be removed the evening of the following day. We returned to the park last week and it was still there. 'I know it probably doesn't sound like an emergency, but in these circumstances I think it was. 'The seat should have been sanded off sooner, as I don't expect any children to use that language and I don't want my daughter to know those words. Why should we suffer from someone else's stupidity?' Mr Perryman believes that other families would also be offended by such graffiti. 'It did spoil my day at the park, and to see it there nearly a month on isn't right. I am angry as children shouldn't come across words like this. You see council vehicles at the park all the time and I don't know why none of the staff did anything about it.' A spokesman for Teignbridge Council said: 'We are committed to creating a cleaner, greener and safer Teignbridge and all reports of environmental damage are taken seriously. 'Although we have searched our records in regard to this particular incident, we have not been able to recall an appropriate log which will explain why follow-up action was not taken. It is worth noting that a similar report of graffiti on a bench in Decoy was received on August 3 and this graffiti was swiftly removed. 'However, we would like to emphasise that we do fully appreciate Mr Perry's concerns, and would take this opportunity to reassure him, and other visitors to the parks, that action was taken to remove the paint using pressurised washing equipment by the Teignbridge Blitz team early on Wednesday. 'Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all residents and visitors that Teignbridge's freephone environmental hotline number, 0800 328 6402, is available to all who wish to report any incidents of fly-tipping, abandoned vehicles, litter problems and graffiti around the district.'
