School's gardening project wrecked

Wednesday, 13 June 2007

Further to the report received yesterday in the Hebweb Forum, the Halifax Courier has now covered the wreckage of the gardening project at Hebden Royd School, Hebden Bridge. Potato plants the children hadspent hours planting were smashed across their playground.

Head Teacher Gretl Young said: "We can possibly salvage something from them. We will try to replant the ones that we can. But it is just awful. Who on earth would do something like this? They've got nothing from it. They've achieved only misery."

Children from the school's nursery and reception class had planted the potatoes and were charting their progress as part of their school work.

Vandals also sprayed graffiti on one of the school doors, threw pebbles from the nursery area into the main playground and forced their way into the boiler room.

Miss Young said the school had had groups of youths hanging round but had never suffered vandalism like the attack at the weekend.

Five-year-old Abbie Laurie, who was one of the children working on the project, said: "Some naughty people have spoilt them. It makes me feel upset."

Fellow classmate Thomas Backhouse added: "It is not very good because it is spoiling the playground. It took us ages to plant those potatoes. It makes me cross."

Inspector Mohammed Nawaz said the police were investigating and urged anyone with information to get in touch.

If you can help you should call the police on 01422 337077.

Elsewhere on the Hebweb:

Forum: Trashing stuff in general (June 2007)

Forum: Littering the Hebden Water (June 2007)

News: Hebden Bridge Cricket Club vandalised! (June 2005)