AN ANDOVER couple has praised the fast response from staff at Test Valley Borough Council after they reported a case of life-threatening vandalism on Easter Sunday.

The pair were taking an early morning stroll around Charlton Lakes when they saw that all the lifebelts had been vandalised – mostly thrown into the water but one placed high off the ground on a tree branch.

While the wife, who did not want to be named, posted on Facebook about the dangers to alert others, the husband first reported it on the MyTestValley app.

He later realised it would be quicker to phone Test Valley Borough Council to report the problem as there’s always an emergency line active.

“I rang the switchboard number at 9 am, got through to the emergency extension and left a message,” he said. “Within two minutes I had a call back and within another 10 minutes had a second call to say a TVBC staff member was on the way with more lifesaving equipment.

“It’s an impressive response, especially on a four day bank holiday, and we both thought it worth emphasising when council staff too often are on the receiving end of complaints rather than compliments.

“As for the vandals, they must be drowning in their own stupidity. It can’t have been a drunken caper because whether they threw the lifebelt into the tree or climbed out along a branch to place it they just had to be sober.

“There’s no excuse for any vandalism but this was particularly dangerous.

“High spirits are one thing, high level stupidity quite another.”