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Dear Families,

As the good weather starts to return and the days are longer, more young people locally are out and about in Padiham.

Unfortunately a small minority of young people, from a whole range of schools, do not behave appropriately. A worrying example of this is the behaviour in the grounds of Gawthorpe Hall. In recent weeks they have had damage to property, plants, broken glass, and litter to name but a few issues.

Please can I urge families to ensure their children are not hanging around the Hall. Shuttleworth and other high schools are co-operating fully with Gawthorpe and the police to identify any perpetrators we know. Below is a statement from Gawthorpe which I would ask you to read and go through carefully with your child.

Gawthorpe Hall and its grounds are officially private land (owned by the National Trust) and not a public park, however the grounds and Hall are open to the public and we welcome people using them in a way that respects the history, wildlife, gardens, and buildings.

This means we want everyone who comes on site to behave properly – you are not to throw stones (or anything else) at the buildings or break windows, do not climb on the walls, roofs or buildings around the Hall, do not damage banners and signs, do not trample or break the plants in the gardens or the wider woodland, no camping, absolutely no fires and don’t drop rubbish or break glass bottles. Please speak to staff and visitors with respect. Please be aware that the woodlands are also important for wildlife and nature conservation especially in the spring and early summer when birds are nesting, so do not damage trees or have fires.

There is CCTV on site and we will follow up any incidences through local schools and with the police. We are also concerned for your safety – climbing on things around the Hall is dangerous both to you and to the buildings.

The Hall and grounds are a great facility to have so nearby, visitors travel a long way to visit Gawthorpe and we ask you to treat it with respect at all times which allows other visitors to enjoy it as well.

We appreciate your support in this matter. It is also worth noting that even if your child is just ‘hanging out’ on the Gawthorpe site there are many hazards there including ponds and building debris, and were they to have a fall or accident there would be no one around to help them.

Kind regards,

Ruth England