Tears over allotment damage
A community group has been forced to close its garden allotments off Kennedy Road in Fort William after they were targeted at the weekend by vandals who smashed up sheds, broke fences, set fire to items and trashed a children’s play house.
In a statement on its Facebook page this week, Sunny
Lochaber United Gardeners (SLUG) explained what had happened on Saturday night: ‘It is with regret we have had to temporarily close access to the allotment site. Until further notice SLUG allotments are closed to the public. This is as a result of a serious act of vandalism that took place last night.
‘Police have been informed. Sheds were smashed, doors ripped off, fences smashed and broken. Even a children’s play house was broken to Items were also burned.
‘It was not petty damage, but serious vandalism, which also means there are broken items strewn across the site which still need clearing.
‘We will post again once we are in a position to re-open. In the meantime, if anyone has any information or knows anything about what happened, please message us here or contact Fort William police.’ pieces.
Highlands and Islands Police told the Lochaber Times: ‘Enquiries are ongoing and anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 2207 of August 30.’
Reacting to the news, MSP Kate Forbes told the Lochaber Times: ‘I am desperately saddened to hear of the incident at the allotments and I cannot understand why anyone would wish to cause such damage to a community project like this.
Not everyone in Fort William has a garden and I know many take great pride in developing their small plots and seeing what can grow there. It’s a real shame that some of this – months of hard work – has been brought to ruin. I understand Police Scotland are conducting enquiries and I would encourage anyone with information about this mindless vandalism to get in touch with local officers.’
Furious councillor Andrew Baxter (Fort William and Ardnamurchan) told the Lochaber Times: ‘This is selfish and destructive behaviour that has ruined the hard work of so many volunteers.
‘I am angered this should happen in Fort William where we work together for the benefit of the whole community.’
For photographs of the extensive damage caused, visit www. lochabertimes.co.uk