Volunteer gardeners in Forfar are picking up the pieces after vandals trashed flowerbeds in a town centre park.
Flowers and bedding plants have been “kicked up”out of the soil in Boyle Park, leaving a small band of local gardeners questioning “if what we are doing is worth it.”
Hundreds of people from the town have united on social media to condemn the perpetrators and calls have been made for more CCTV to prevent future incidents.
Others have highlighted young people congregating at the now shuttered up park keeper’s house and asked if the building should be re-opened to deter would-be vandals.
The nine regular volunteers behind the Forfar in Flower group, most of whom are in their 60s and 70s, have been left counting the cost of the bulbs and plants strewn across the ground and will meet shortly to decide what should happen next.
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Some of the volunteers are so dispirited by the incident they have said they may support laying turf down across the flowerbeds.
Plans to plant rhododendrons and other more expensive larger plants have been sidelined due to the potential substantial costs of replacing them if vandals strike again.
Lesley Ducat, group treasurer, said: “It’s so sad. Our volunteers put a lot of time into their work and it was upsetting seeing it all kicked up out of the ground. You wonder if what we are doing is worth it.”
She said she hoped some good could still come from the incident.
“More than a 100 people have commented on what has happened on social media,” she said.
“I wish we could get more help from the people who want to see Forfar looking pretty. If only a few of them came forward it would make a real difference.”
Resident Dawn Samson called for a CCTV camera to be installed in that area of the park.
“This disgraceful behaviour keeps happening over and over,” she said.
Forfar in Flower’s founder member, local councillor Lynne Devine, SNP, said: “I’m shocked. Our group does a huge amount of work in the local community for the benefit of the town and its community.
“Despite being a small band of volunteers, we have gone from strength to strength with what we do. Just this week, we were putting up hanging baskets in the pouring rain knowing that people really appreciate the work we do.
“I don’t know where something like this leaves us – it’s a heavy blow and we’ll have to take stock.”
An Angus Council spokesperson said: “Forfar in Flower do fantastic work. The band of dedicated volunteers help make the town look brighter and better and really make a difference when it comes to improving the local environment.”
