Holme Pierrepont (National Water Sports Centre, Nottingham)

From  http://www.highnmighty.co.uk/news.htm  (High n Mighty sell canoes and other sports equipment)
Reproduced in full

April 1, 2005    CRIME IS NO JOKE - FIGHT CRIME!

Those of you that having been following the developments of High 'n' Mighty will remember that we had our van broken into and about £500 worth of stuff stolen while at HolmePierrePont whitewater centre (not to mention the cost of repairs to the van). Neither the local police nor the management of the company that controls the site (Leisure Connection) were interested in what happened to us and we simply became another statistic of crime in the Nottingham area.

Recently we heard of a similar incident where a teenage boys car was broken into and a large amount of gear stolen. The mother of the boy contacted Leisure Connection only to receive a similarly unsympathetic response. Their story was posted on the Thames Weir Project website as well as several others and it seems that these were not two isolated incidents but one of a large number of break ins that have taken place at the site. 

We decided to contact the company to express our concern to the company only to receive the following statement:

"Holme Pierrepont is a public park and as such it is difficult to police, compared to a private venue or space. Although the area is safe and tranquil, users should take as much care as they would in any other public space or town centre. CCTV is already in operation and steps are currently being taken to increase the protection offered by the cameras. In addition, the police have been informed and are increasing their presence across the park, whilst staff are undertaking regular patrols of the site as a precaution."

We do not think this wishy-washy statement is a suitable response to a serious crime! Think about it. You're in a the HPP carpark and you see someone. Maybe you know what he's up to and maybe not. You approach him, maybe to ask for help or maybe to confront him. He turns and attacks you with the screwdriver he was using to break into the vehicle. It could happen. Is it right that a company that charges you to use the facilities at HPP ignores what is going on right under their noses? If you, like us are not prepared to tolerate this complacency from the management of Leisure Connection then e-mail them and tell them exactly what you think!