Vandals damage WW2 memorial

Published 25 Jun 2009 07:00 1 Comment

VANDALS struck at Haddington"s Normandy Remembrance Garden, damaging a community-owned sculpture erected in memory of the defining Second World War battle.

Thousands of pounds were raised by local volunteers - including community councillors, gala organisers and members of the Haddington Royal British Legion branch - to fund the creation of a memorial garden and the erection of a sphere-shaped piece, on the site of the former bowling green to the rear of Peter Potter Gallery, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings in 2004.

However, Charles Ingle, a former Haddington councillor and co-ordinator of the memorial garden project, discovered last week that vandals had damaged the garden"s globe-like sculpture, worth more than £2,000, by bending it back on its supporting plinth (see picture).

He said: 'The vandalism I saw shocked me to be honest. I was on my way home and noticed that the garden was looking a bit of a mess - it was then that I saw the damage to the sculpture. In my view, the person or persons responsible have tried their hardest to push the sphere right off the plinth and roll it away.

'It"s really disappointing because it was the community that raised the funds to buy the sculpture and create the garden.'

An East Lothian Council spokeswoman said: 'East Lothian Council removed the plants from the beds near the sculpture to enable us to tackle pernicious weeds that were taking hold there.

'The plants are being stored safely and will be replaced as soon as the weeds have been dealt with.

'We are aware of the damage caused by vandals to the sculpture, and are assessing what sort of remedial work is needed.

'Once we have established this, we"ll be working with the group who designed and installed the sculpture to make good the damage.'

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  Jun 27, 00:29
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  Aug 28, 13:17
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  It was me. Sorry.
  
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