Anger as youths repeatedly target Ramsgate’s Italianate Glasshouse

CCTV shows two boys, one punching and smashing glass (images blurred due to being minors)

Ramsgate’s Italianate Glasshouse custodian Janice Dadds has voiced her anger over teen yobs who have targeted the site.

On November 13 at 4pm two boys, aged between 13-15, attempted to break in to the 190-year-old glasshouse in King George VI Park. CCTV footage shows them smashing the door, windows and several other panes of glass.

Janice said: “One of them tried to enter and unlocked the door, however I believe they may have been spooked by passers-by and got back over the gates where there was another child watching.

“From CCTV it looks like there were five of them in the park. I had loads of private messages from people who have experienced problems with them. I have also been given two names and an address.

“The boys who did it are well known to police and running riot around Ramsgate and it appears nothing is being done.

“Two of the youths look like the ones on our CCTV who scaled our gates the previous Sunday but were shouted at by a neighbour. They got out of our rear garden via our roof, breaking the slate tiles.

“I have reported it to the police and spoken to the local PCSO but there seems to be little urgency and I’m certain they will return. It’s so frustrating as no-one from the police had bothered to contact me.”

Custodians Janice and Phil Dadds at the glasshouse

Janice says she received a letter from police to say the case had been filed, prompting her to make an official complaint.

However, Kent Police say this was an error and the case is still open.

Chief Inspector Matt Smith, Kent Police’s District Commander for Thanet, said: “Kent Police is investigating a report that two boys attempted to burgle a business premises in Montefiore Avenue, Ramsgate, between 5pm and 5.30pm on Saturday 13 November.

“Officers attended the scene to conduct enquiries, seized available CCTV and met in person with the victim. Enquiries to locate the suspects are ongoing.

“The victim did receive an email which stated the report had been filed due to a lack of evidence. This was an administration error and quickly corrected, with no detriment to the investigation.

“The victim has been updated and officers will continue to keep them apprised on the progress of the case.”

Janice says although she doesn’t blame the police on the ground she believes the system “is broken” when it comes to dealing with youths causing trouble.

She added: “These kids are going to cause serious harm to someone or something if this is not nipped in the bud now. All I get is ‘it’s their background and dysfunctional poor families,’ but I have had enough of that. It’s like they are the victims when they are just little sh**s who think they can get away with anything and are terrorising the neighbourhood.”

21 Comments

  1. Unfortunately the police and criminal justice system ignore low level crime, however it’s low legal crime and antisocial behaviour like this that affects the majority of us. King George park is a beautiful place but like most of Ramsgate it is plagued by feral kids smoking drugs, drinking cheap booze and getting high on nitrous oxide

    It’s time to start punishing the parents for their feral kids criminality and antisocial behaviour. Crime would soon go down if the parents were made accountable for their out of control kids. It’s not the government’s fault, it’s lazy parenting and a result of the me me me generation of parents.

  2. In responses to survey after survey the majority of people ask for more visible policing to deal with the low level crime – vandalism, anti social behaviour, graffiti, opportunistic burglary – that blight their lives. Time after time the people in charge of policing (does anybody really know any more who that is?) assert that they know better and will just carry on doing what they are doing. The really serious issue that it is profoundly damaging and dangerous when a society begins to lose confidence in those who are paid to protect them. That is what is happening.

  3. Tdc could use their newly appointed security contractors to guard their building.
    Anyway the glasshouse is currently listed for asset disposal, maybe the vandals have knocked a few grand off the property value!

    Such a shame to see this lovely historical building being vandalised.

  4. So being a minor means you can hide behind your age whilst doing whatever you want to does it!

    Name and shame them and start to bring the law back to punish them for their crimes!

  5. If one of the kids has ginger hair and the other one mixed race I would not be surprised one bit. If it was them the police know where they live.

  6. while we are on the subject of vandalism and graffiti , can anyone explain this ? as you pass by the new parkway station towards ramsgate , on the right hand side near the new underpass ,up on the bank on a wall someone painted DONT TRUST BORIS , this was promptly covered up and painted over , since then the county lines druggies have plastered the wall and parts of the bridge , and guess what it has not been touched , who sanctioned and paid for the repaint of the boris graffit ? – any clues

  7. I shared her post on Facebook asking for names as that’s what she wanted, only for the original post by owner to be deleted?? If help is required then the post should stay up & these disrespectful little shites should know people are well on to them & they will be caught & face prosecution one way or another. I’m sick to death of the blatant disregard for things & people. These brats are our future & god help us. 😡

  8. 13/15… Hardly “kids” They’re teenagers. They’re not 6/7 years of age. Let’s put this in it’s right context shall we !!! They new exactly what they were doing. Do like America does, hit the parents in the pocket where it hurts, then maybe, just maybe it might register that their actions are making their parents poorer. Don’t you just wish we had the equivalent to a boot camp !! I’ll tell you what, forget what I have just posted. I forgot about the “do-gooders brigade. I’m sure they’ll find something to moan at !!

  9. Ex-teacher here … I care about teenagers, all teenagers. It never was easy being a teen and it’s even harder these days. The degree of neglect / chaos / all-round adult hopelessness experienced by some kids beggars belief.

    However, violence, bullying, vile and disturbing behaviour from teenagers is constantly ignored in schools. And that is partly because it is too time-consuming for schools to address, partly because a concerted response would bring the subject out into the open & then reflect badly on a school’s reputation or at least that of its cohort of students, which amounts to the same thing. As a consequence, highly disruptive young people do not get the help they desperately need. And they go out into the community believing that they are untouchable, that they have no responsibility for their actions. If they go onto offend when they ARE legally adults they must wonder why they’re suddenly considered culpable.

    Even from the point of view of the kids themselves, punishment is required and so is truly caring support. We can whistle for that.

  10. I have said many times that kids having kids means NO DISCIPLINE. The young parents take the attitude that ‘their little angel’ would never do that. I have heard many times a ‘parent’ telling their ‘child’ off, it makes me laugh. They say things like ‘now you know I have told you that is not nice so PLEASE don’t do it again’ What sort of punishment is that for a ‘child’ to make them think twice before doing it again. Before you start shouting about child abuse be aware that I had 3 boys of my own and I was a single parent from the time my youngest 2 were just 3 years old when that happened. As they grew up they learnt that bad behaviour would NOT be tolerated by me and I only had to give them 1 smack after this they learnt to listen to my tone of voice which change as they were being told/shouted at that they NEVER pushed me so far that they needed a smack again. I don’t condone bashing a child but I think a short sharp smack can and most times will make the little darlings think about what they are doing.

  11. These kids know that they can get away with bad behaviour. Sorry but they know right from wrong and should be punished for their behaviour. Any child aged 10 and over should be held accountable for their behaviour and under 10 the parents must be accountable

  12. Sick and tired of the phrase too young to know what they are doing. If they are old enough to commit antisocial behaviour of any kind they are old enough to be punished.. remember borstal??

  13. children think they ate “entitled” to do as they please with no consequences ..parents need to be held responsible for their children’s behaviour.

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