Schoolkids run amok in garden
Prestwick Academy’s ‘ muck up day’ antics
School children have been slammed for wrecking a community garden as they ran riot in a final day rumpus.
Flowers and plants were ripped from beds and broken grass and waste littered the area. It happened in Prestwick’s Boydfield Community Garden – and Prestwick Academy pupils were behind the damage. They staged the now traditional “Muck Up Day” on Friday as they were freed from class lessons to study at home for exams. Some in school uniform were spotted egging people and throwing flour. It is thought others who had already quit school were also responsible. The damage followed similar trouble last year which involved police attendance. Community activists set out in force to repair the damage and Wright’s Home Hardware donated gloves and trowels. Town centre mess included broken glass and wine and whisky bottles as well as fag ends and vomit. Julie Twaddell, who helped in the cleanup, said: “The best thing we can do is enjoy using this space and not let a minority ruin it.” Bob Smith revealed three beds of flowers had plants ripped out and damage. He said: “Flour and eggs were flung about and there was litter everywhere.” Concerned Simon Growing had water and eggs thrown at his car while he was driving. He said: “The school should not condone this. It could have caused an accident . . . mindless idiots.” And Irene Kelly added: “I thought there might have been some sort of apology from the Prestwick Academy after the mayhem and vandalism. It is time this school got a grip.” In an email to the Post, Paul Dickie said: “I would like to alert you to what our neighborhood considers a serious incident of public disorder. “If you look into this you will find a lack of ownership and the inability to tackle what has now become an annual event in the town of Prestwick. “On Friday April 30, the area around Prestwick Academy was subject to reckless driving, profanity, indecent exposure ( people openly urinating into plastic bottles and water guns outside of the local shop and in the street), missiles being thrown from moving vehicles and abuse given to residents. “Young students were running into our gardens while being assaulted and covered in eggs, flour, spit and urine! Residents’ cars were hit with eggs. “Every year the school breaks for study leave this happens and neither the school or police have managed to contain it. “This year when we as residents tried to contact the community police officer based in the school she had scheduled a training day to coincide with this annual carnage. Not good enough. “The headmaster would not speak to any of us and the local shop had to close early. As far as we know there is no plan in place to counter this and it is now at dangerous levels of anti social behavior. “To me this is a story that should be told as the residents of Prestwick are being let down and put at risk. The school are taking no ownership that we can see and the police officer schedules time off on what would be the busiest day I can imagine she would have all year!” A council spokeswoman said: “We have absolutely no information about our pupils being involved in this behaviour, which is not reflective of the standards of the school. “We always expect some light- hearted fun and high jinks as young people stop for exam leave, but would expect them to behave respectfully at all times.”
We have absolutely no information about our pupils being involved in this behaviour