The owner of a new nursery in Forfar has admitted she “doesn’t know where to go from here” after her business was targeted by vandals for the second time in just over a month.
Lemon Tree in Castle Street, which opened on November 21, has had windows broken on two separate occasions since opening. The first was discovered on December 11 and the second on the morning of December 28.
Eight windows were damaged, five of which were broken during the latest attack, leaving glass littered on the floor inside.
The nursery’s owner, Vicki Lemon, said: “I can’t believe someone would do this again. Once was bad enough.
“It’s disheartening. I’m supposed to be having some time off with my family but now I can’t stop thinking about what I’ll go into and if it will happen again.
“I know people can do stupid things, but maybe they haven’t considered the harm they could be doing to children. Forfar shouldn’t be like this. The vandals will likely know somebody that knows someone who goes to the nursery and maybe they’d think twice if they were aware of that.
“I don’t know where I go from here. I’ve even considered getting shutters for the windows and we shouldn’t need that for a nursery.”
The smashed windows have since been replaced, but Vicki is holding off on repairing the cracked ones for fear the attack may be repeated.
CCTV has since been installed in the hope it will deter further incidents, and Vicki has asked the nearby Tesco to trim some foliage she suspects is providing vandals with cover but the cost of security has set her plans for the nursery back.
She was hoping to have the grounds outside kitted out with climbing frames, a sandpit and other play equipment, but these have been delayed as resources go into security instead.
After the first incident, the nursery did get a pleasant surprise when ADG Plant Hire donated a new toy tractor and trailer set. “It reminds you that there are some decent people out there and such a thing as community and we were really grateful to them,” Vicki added.
Lemon Tree was not the only victim of vandalism in Forfar as a podiatrist in West High Street had a window smashed between 10.30pm on December 27 and 4.30am on December 28. Police Scotland has said they do not believe there was an attempt to gain entry into the building.
The incidents are not formally being treated as linked at this stage, a police spokesman said.
