Girl's brave message to vandals

8:45am Saturday 6th May 2006

A NINE-year-old girl has started a campaign to get a new keeper's hut in a Chingford park.

Yasmin Twomey, of Brindwood Road, Chingford, wrote to the Guardian to ask for our support to get the hut in Ridgeway Park rebuilt.

"It was burned down last year by some selfish yobs," she explained.

The Chase Lane Junior School pupil, who has got her twin sister on side and is hoping to get more support from the public, said that the hut was part of history and it made her feel safer to know that the park keeper was there.

"You shouldn't throw important things away just because they are old and you should never give in to bullies," she wrote.

Yasmin said that lots of people used the park, including children and families, Leyton Orient football school and the Chingford Festival.

"We need to know the park keeper is in his hut so that we feel safe," she said.

The girls' mother Jo said that the park was special to both girls.

"They learned to ride their bikes there, had their first tennis lesson there and now enjoy using the basketball hoops.

"The park hut is a symbol of security to the children and Yasmin is passionate about getting it restored," she said.

A council spokesman said that there was a park attendant on duty during daylight hours but that no decision had been made on replacing the hut.

But Yasmin thinks that is just not good enough.

She said: "I don't think it's very fair. It was burned down quite some time ago and they should have done something by now.

"I'm a member of the school council and we discuss things and get things done. Why can't the real council?"

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