Vandals destroy a lovingly-tended garden

Staff came in on Saturday to find the lovingly-tended garden at the 73A clinic had been ransacked overnight.

Among the items smashed by yobs were a trellis archway, a picnic table, a bird bath, a bird table and a bench made by clients at the centre.

They also overturned and smashed pots, unearthed plants and bushes and ripped up bags of decorative stone chips which were strewn around the grounds. Manager Dave Harris said: "They didn't mess about. They were even lobbing things over the back into the Renown bus depot. They also had some vandalism and graffiti the same night.

"We take pride in our garden and nearly all the work is done by our clients, who find it very enjoyable and therapeutic. It was a shame they had to see it in this state.

"It's not the money but the amount of hard work that's gone into it that makes it so sad.

"Our problem is that we're tucked back off the road. It's good in a sense because it's quiet and secluded but it also means nobody sees or hears anything if we get a problem like this.

It's a double-edged sword but thankfully this is the first time anything like this has happened."

He said the centre would now have to look into the possibility of installing CCTV cameras, an expense it can ill afford.