Bamber Bridge allotments wrecked in 'overnight raid by kids'

The Brindle Road Allotments Association, which operates its site on behalf of South Ribble Borough Council, says that thousands of pounds worth of damage has been done during the “mindless” raids – leaving some of those who see their plots as a sanctuary either too scared or too saddened to return.

Following the latest incident – in the early hours of Saturday 22nd October – the association’s site secretary, Carmen Finn, said that CCTV images showed five young secondary school-aged children descending on the green oasis, using head torches to get a better view of the precious spaces that they were about to vandalise.

The three boys and two girls left the growing patches themselves largely untouched, focussing instead on breaking into the sheds in a spree which saw them damage 28 of the 48 plots on the site. The raid began at 4.20am and lasted more than an hour.

“We have vulnerable elderly people who are actually giving up their plots because they’re frightened to come down now – even in daylight hours,” Carmen explained.

“Our oldest tenant is 92 this year, but we are a broad spectrum and we also have young families with babies and toddlers.

“People also come here for their mental health, so that’s not helped when somebody has come along and just wrecked everything – it’s like it’s an invasion of your personal space.

“They’ve smashed windows, they’ve taken things from one shed and moved it to another and they emptied a [water butt] of mine, so I lost 750 litres of rainwater.

“We’d just spent £2,000 on new security fencing at the back, because they keep breaking in [that way] – and we feel that this is essentially two fingers up to us. They’ve broken four of the cameras we have and have done damage to padlocks – so in the last two months they have cost us £3,000,” Carmen said.

That bill will have to be borne by the association – just as the owners of the sheds will have to pay to have them repaired – because although the site is owned by the borough council, the authority does not play any part in its day-to-day management, which is the responsibility of the allotment association’s committee.

An online fundraiser has been set up for anyone wishing to help cover the cost of the repairs.

After appealing on social media for information about the most recent break-in, Carmen says that the “mortified” parents of two of the children involved came forward – and she says she has been able to hand five names to police of youngsters she believes were involved.

South Ribble Borough Council leader Paul Foster told the Lancashire Post that the authority was aware of the spate of break-ins and “that the culprits responsible are known and being dealt with accordingly by the police”.

“It’s a great shame that a minority of individuals feel the need to act in this way in our community and we are in support of the police who are dealing with the situation,” Cllr Foster added.

Lancashire Police said that – as of last week – inquiries were ongoing.

Carmen said that one of the children involved had volunteered to help out at the allotments as a form of payback – but that the tenants did not want them around.

One plot-holder, who did not want to be named, told the Post that the latest attack was the worst of the four the site had suffered since June. “Some of the sheds are beyond repair, as well as greenhouses having been smashed, polytunnels slashed with knives and gates and fences kicked down.

“Having an allotment provides not just space to grow fruit and vegetables, but it’s a place to develop friendships and build a community. It’s also a place to find a bit of peace and quiet in a busy world.

“We have people from many walks of life on site, but we all have a shared interest in gardening. We help each other, offer advice and hold community events.

“Everyone is upset and angry about what has happened and many tenants no longer feel safe being on their allotment. In addition, the cost of repairs, at a time when everyone is already struggling, is hitting people hard.”

Another tenant, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said that she tended her plot with her family – and echoed the sentiment of her fellow grower that it was a way to escape “the daily madness of life [and] to really relax, recuperate and recharge”.

“There are some plot-holders here with serious and complex health issues, carers, young families, elderly and the infirm. Being part of this allotment community allows them time to think about just the task at hand – to achieve something they can be proud of.

“To hear that some are considering giving up this lifeline due to the break-ins is heartbreaking. They’ve put in so much time – some have spent decades tending their plots – only to have someone come along and recklessly damage their safe haven.

“Who wants to spend time making something just right only to have it destroyed in seconds just for entertainment?”

South Ribble Borough Council owns three other allotments in the district – one in Moss Side and two in Penwortham. Like the one at Brindle Road, they are all managed on the authority’s behalf by other groups and have waiting lists for plots.

There are currently 66 people awaiting a speck at the Brindle Road site alone.