The historic, almost unique and Grade II listed cabmen’s shelter in Ripon has been vandalised again.
The building, which was once used by drivers of horse drawn cabs waiting for fares, is one of only a handful left in the UK.
According to the Leader of Ripon City Council, catching those responsible will be difficult because Harrogate Borough Council charges the police £60 an hour to review CCTV footage.
Andrew Williams called the charge “crazy”. He says that it makes it too expensive because police would potentially have to review six hours of overnight footage.
Cllr Williams thinks the cost is unacceptable and has called on Harrogate Borough Council to reduce it to levels that are affordable to the police so they can be more effective in fighting crime in the city.
A member of Ripon City Council staff discovered the damage to the windows on Sunday morning.
The rare shelter was provided in 1911 through a legacy of £200 by Sarah Carter, the daughter of a former mayor of Ripon.
It has since been restored twice after becoming badly decayed.
Anyone who has any information about this latest incident is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police.
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson defended the charges saying:
“CCTV across the Harrogate district, which is owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council, has on-going infrastructure and running costs.
“As well as the costs to maintain the service, there are also costs associated with a CCTV control room, staffing and the on-going safe storage of footage.
“Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of any footage, this would require an appropriate individual reviewing it first, followed by providing the footage securely along with a witness statement.
“All while adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998.
“Therefore, any third-party that wishes to view and use any CCTV footage – such as an insurance company, enforcement agency or the police – is charged to do so.”