Ashdown Forest vandal pays the repair bill

Ashdown Forest vandal pays the repair bill

A vandal who admitted damaging and defacing parking signs on The Ashdown Forest has paid for them to be repaired. 

The 56-year-old, who has not been named by police, was arrested on October 19th 2023, after a torrent of attacks on signs across Ashdown Forest’s 18 car parks. Sussex Police found his fingerprints on some of the damaged signs and said that he admitted damaging 20 signs and has repaid £2,753 for their repair.

The vandalism began after Ashdown forest officials introduced parking charges in November 2022. The fees were brought in to create revenue to improve paths and tracks, maintain or replace gates and bridges, fix potholes in car parks and restore eroded entrances and exits. 

Parking charges range from £2 for an hour to £5 for all day, or £80 for an annual pass.

Sussex Police PC Pete Hall said: "There are consequences for behaviour of this kind. Anyone identified as being responsible for damaging or defacing signage on the forest will be dealt with This particular individual has been hit with a hefty financial penalty."