Locked in at Hillsborough

Bolt cutters and a short extension ladder were used to rescue the two adults and teenager when they were locked in the grounds of Hillsborough Forest Park around 5pm on October 7. The fire service confirmed that they were called at 5.03pm to Hillsborough Fort at the Square. One appliance arrived from Lisburn Fire Station while another came from Central.

The incident was blamed on the early seasonal closure of the gates. During the summer, the gates according to residents, are locked at 6pm and it is only at the start of November the gates are locked early at 4pm and throughout the winter months.

However, residents and visitors to the village have noticed that the locking of the gates came a month early. From the early September the gates have been locked at 4pm catching many Sunday walkers and families off guard.

Regular walker Harold Patterson who enjoys a weekly stroll in Hillsborough every Sunday said that he is puzzled as to why the gates are locked at 4pm weeks earlier than normal.

“It is quite a popular spot for families and especially used by walkers or people coming into the area to have picnics,” he said. “The gates are open until 6pm during the summer and should still be open at that time until the end of October. But for the past number of weeks they seem to have been locked early and are being locked at 4pm. A lot of people have been caught out by this.

“I was round again on Sunday and there were dozens of people there with their children there and the caretaker began to lock the gates at 3.45pm which is even earlier.

“I can understand they would close them early come the end of October when the time changes. There were 15 tourists from Canada who wanted to go into the fort gates but were turned away.”

A spokesperson for the Department of the Environment said: “The site has been closing at 4pm in October for many years. This has not changed. NIEA was assessing keeping the site open during October to 6pm, which is the usual summer closing time. However, it was decided to keep to the 4pm closing.

“There are Health and Safety implications with fading daylight on sites, in that there is insufficient lighting throughout the grounds of certain sites to allow the public to walk around them safely. Signage displaying the amended opening and closing times was placed at the entrances from the main street on to the Dark Walk and from the Lake Field into the Fort Grounds.

“It is very unfortunate that these circumstances arose. Staff will be further advised to do reasonable checks to ensure no visitors remain, though given the size of NIEA sites, a responsibility will also fall to visitors to know and visit within opening times. The NIEA is sorry that the family was in this predicament. The Minister has asked for a report, plans to speak to the parents and identify if further measures on opening hours are needed.”