VIDEO: Cars rolled into Lister Park boating lake

ARSONISTS who dumped two cars into a boating lake at an award-winning Bradford park have been condemned for their actions.

A Citroen Xsara and a Vauxhall Corsa were driven or rolled into the water at Lister Park, in Manningham - and the latter had been set on fire.

Fire crews believe the culprits also tried to set the other vehicle alight, but were unsuccessful, during the drama last night.

Today, Bradford Council workers were at the park - which has won multiple Green Flag awards - dragging the cars from the water using a tractor and heavy chains.

The removal of the Xsara was more difficult because it went into the water next to a section of narrow path, leaving the tractor with minimal room for manoeuvre.

Flagstones around the lake were also damaged as the cars were pulled out and petrol leaked into the water.

Councillor Sarfraz Nazir (Lab, Manningham) said: “Lister Park is one of the treasures, not just of Manningham, but of Bradford as well. People come from around West Yorkshire, and nationally, to visit it.

“I strongly condemn what these people have done. It is shocking.

“It is shocking that people would think to do that in a beautiful park, especially when there are families that use it.

“They could have caused injury to someone as well.”

He added: “It might put people off using the park in future, seeing things like that.

“We want people to come here and use the park.”

Cllr Nazir also bemoaned the need to divert workers from their normal jobs to dealing with this incident.

“We have limited Council resources as it is,” said Cllr Nazir. “We don’t want to use those resources on this sort of thing.”

Cllr Shabir Hussain (Lab, Manningham) said: “I have not got the words for this, to be honest.

“It is such a beautiful park, an award-winning park that people come from all over the place to visit.

“The people that have done this never appreciate these things we have.

“Whoever has done it wants to be caught. I hope they get caught very quickly and prosecuted for it.”

He added: “I grew up in the area and used the park. It is a beautiful park that is well-used by people from every walk of life.

“It really is a lovely spot.”

Fire crews from Shipley station were called to the park at about 10.30pm on Monday A spokesman for the station said: “One of the cars was driven into the boating lake and set on fire. One was driven in but it was not set on fire.”

He added that no-one was trapped in the vehicles and said a specialist water rescue unit team from Bingley fire station was called in to go in the lake and check.

One man, who watched as Council workers tried to salvage one of the cars, said of the incident: “It looks like they have come round the corner and just gone straight in.

“It is not something you see every day, that’s for sure.”

Another said: “I think the occupants were in the Xsara after it landed in the water because there are marks on the side of the car to suggest they climbed out onto it.”

He added: “It is just typical. A lovely park like this and then you get something like this happening.”

Shipley firefighters also dealt with car fires at Salts Sports Association in Saltaire and Shay Grange Golf Centre in Heaton on the same evening.

A Vauxhall Vectra was set alight near the football pitches at Salts at about 9pm. Then, at about 10pm, a Mazda was set on fire at the entrance to the golf centre. Both cars were destroyed by the fires.

Police said enquiries were continuing into all of the incidents.