DAWLISH'S skateboarders have said a recently-vandalised history trail board in the town was nothing to do with them. A month ago, six Dawlish history boards charting Isambard Kingdom Brunel's impact on the town were installed at locations from Lea Mount to the Warren. But just before Easter one of the boards was alleged to have been used as a skateboard ramp after it was found vandalised by the steps at the top of Lea Mount path, only yards from its original location. The board appeared to have been unbolted from its clamps, placed on the ground and then repeatedly scored to damage the face of the panel. Last week the town's skaters came forward stating that it was not them. The seven-strong group, with ages from 12 to 14, said they also spoke for a number of other Dawlish skaters currently on holiday in Barcelona. 'It was nothing to do with us,' said Sam Gover. 'I only found out about it after my mum and dad told me they'd read it in the paper.' The group said that, from looking at the picture of the vandalised boards, the marks could not have been made by the wheels on a skateboard and the area was too muddy to use their equipment. They also said they were fed up with the general public thinking they were always up to no good, They 'hated' being stereotyped as bad people. Said Matt Slewman: 'Only the other day when we were skating by the Brook and we found a bin in there, a couple of people walked by and said "I suppose you threw that in there?" It's unfair.' In general, although the skaters appreciated what was being done by various local organisations with providing a skate park on the town once a month, they wanted something permanent sooner rather than later.
