BEVERLEY'S mayor and British Legion leaders fear the town cenotaph and memorials are at risk after it was decided two memorial gardens would no longer be locked at night.
In a cost-cutting move by East Riding Council, the Memorial Gardens in Hengate and Coronation Gardens in North Bar Within are now being left open at night.
Town mayor Councillor Paul McGrath fears the decision could lead to vandalism and antisocial behaviour in the town centre gardens, where replicas of paintings are also displayed as part of an art trail.
Costly restoration work has also been carried out at the cenotaph at the town's Hengate Memorial Garden.
The mayor said: "A lot of public money has been spent and a lot of effort put in by the civic society to restore both gardens.
"If these two public spaces that have such significance in the town are not made secure at night, it is inevitable that we will see the kind of damage that this investment was aimed to put right."
Beverley's British Legion branch chairman Councillor Dominic Peacock said he would be complaining to East Riding Council about the move.
Cllr Peacock said: "I am very concerned about this.
"Vandalism was a constant problem in the past, particularly in the Hengate Memorial Garden.
"It ceased because of the measures that have taken place, including keeping the gardens locked at night.
"If East Riding Council is now turning round and saying it will leave them open to save a few bob, I am not at all happy."
Cllr Peacock claimed investment in restoring the gardens would be wasted if they again became a target for vandals.
He said: "Many thousands of pounds have been spent on restoring the gardens and the cenotaph. It now looks beautiful.
"If people are now going to be able to go in the gardens after dark and cause damage, it will be a terrible shame.
"It's not terribly well-lit in Hengate. There are dark corners where people can hide and damage could be done."
Town councillor Margaret Pinder, who is also Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate for Beverley and Holderness, is calling on East Riding Council to protect Beverley's heritage.
Cllr Pinder said: "This is a false economy, which is likely to lead to greater expense in the long- term.
"It shows complete disregard for the condition and integrity of a place that both reflects and honours an important part of this town's history and contribution to the nation.
"I call upon East Riding Council to find what must be a relatively small financial commitment to continue locking the gardens to protect our public spaces and our heritage."
An East Riding Council spokesman said the move, which had been made because of budget pressures facing the authority, was for a trial period and would be reviewed in the new year.
He said: "It is not our normal practice to lock park gates at night across the East Riding, but until recently, we had been locking Hengate Memorial Gardens and Coronation Gardens in Beverley.
"As there is now a need to reprioritise limited budgets and make efficiency savings, we have recently begun a trial of not locking these two parks.
"This will continue until the new year, when we will review the trial and monitor any issues, before making a final decision.
"We are not aware of any issues arising from leaving parks unlocked overnight, and are confident that the same will apply in Beverley."
