Vandals Destroy Bench Dedicated To Local Couple

VANDALS have destroyed a bench dedicated to a local couple on a quiet countryside retreat in Haddenham. On Tuesday or Wednesday night, freshly planted saplings were snapped in two and two benches were reduced to a pile of planks. They were later spotted

VANDALS have destroyed a bench dedicated to a local couple on a quiet countryside retreat in Haddenham.

On Tuesday or Wednesday night, freshly planted saplings were snapped in two and two benches were reduced to a pile of planks. They were later spotted by dog walkers on Fairchild's Meadow, an area donated to the village by the Fairchild family, then painstakingly prepared by the parish council as quiet retreat and a haven for walkers.

The parish council recently secured a grant from the European Union to drain Fairchild's Meadow and make the land suitable for wildlife. They were in the process of preparing the land for grazing cattle when the vandals struck.

"It's completely mindless," said Haddenham parish and district councillor Gareth Wilson. "It's a really nice area - to just spoil it like that - it's so pointless. If someone is a bit elderly and wants a bit of a sit down, that bench was there, and there is a wonderful view of Ely Cathedral."

"It's something the parish has done for the village, and we spent a lot of money on it," added Cllr Wilson.

The destroyed bench was donated to the village by joiner Tony Elworthy and his wife Carol, in memory of their neighbours Janie and Albert Gothard, who lived alongside them in Station Road.

The damage is thought to run into several hundreds of pounds. Cllr Wilson appealed for information, particularly from parents who knew their children were out in the village on either Tuesday or Wednesday evening.

INFO: Contact the parish clerk on 01353 741231.