The Friends of Bailey Park group have urged for better CCTV provision in the park following a recent incident of anti-social behaviour.

Posting on the Abergavenny Voice Facebook page, an Abergavenny man told how his children were left frightened and upset after a group of teenagers started a fire in the Bailey Park rugby stand.

The resident is a frequent visitor to Bailey Park’s Multi-Use Games Area often playing basketball with his children in the early evenings.

On the evening of Sunday November 14 the resident noticed flames shooting from inside the nearby rugby stand, just as darkness fell.

Upon inspection, he found a sizeable group of young teenagers, both boys and girls, setting fire to large pieces of cardboard which had been flung everywhere and could possibly have set fire to the wooden struts along the roof, or injured one of the perpetrators.

The gang ran off, leaving the man to put out the dying flames with his shoe.

One of his children was extremely frightened and upset by this horrible experience.

The resident then phoned the police whilst someone living near the park also phoned the Fire Service, although upon their arrival the fire had been contained with nothing left but ash.

Members of Friends of Bailey Park spoke to the resident who was at the scene when the fire started, when visiting the park to check the CCTV camera in the Pavilion.

Speaking of the incident, one member said: “Bailey Park is in sore need of better CCTV provision, better lighting, and a regular police presence, to deter these vandals from repeatedly finding antisocial acts to carry out.”