Published date: 29 October 2015 |
Published by: Owen EvansRead more articles by Owen Evans Email reporter
A MAN behind an ecological community project has been left devastated by vandals who smashed up a donated minibus.
Paul Harston, chief executive of the Park in the Past Community Interest Company, said yobs who smashed up their minibus beyond repair before stealing a wheel and a battery should be ashamed.
He said the community project, which involves restoring and managing the former Fagl Lane quarry in Hope, would suffer as a result of the mindless damage.
Mr Harston said: “We have not long had this donated to us as a vehicle to use around the site, which we thought was really great, and we had it parked in the secure fencing area.
“First somebody came in and smashed the windows and stole a wheel and the battery and then people have come and just smashed it to bits later on.
“It takes a real commitment and willingless to finish the vehicle off like this.”
Mr Harston said the incident was the latest in a series of anti-social activities carried out on the site and it had caused serious issues for the group.
“It is a very small minority who want to ruin it for the rest of us,” he said. It’s really upsetting.
“Now we have got to get a special lorry to pull it away and we have got to pay for that.
“It was in good order and it is now in the area of being written off.
“It is a site safety vehicle which allows us to do all sorts of different things – it is not what we would have chosen but it was free and it was a nice gesture.”
The project, which includes long-running plans to build a fully functional Roman fort and an Iron Age farmstead set within the original environment, has been ongoing for several years.
Mr Harston said: “We are trying to do youth programmes and get all people involved and this happens.
“We are taking one step forward and one step back.
Mr Harston said they now felt they could not keep equipment out in the open.
He said: “Now we know that we can’t trust things on site because there are elements who are so opportunistic.
“It’s not for money making – it has been done for the fun.”
He said any help that could be provided to the project, including financial, would be warmly received.
He said: “We need every single bit of help we can get and we have got a lot of people who are supporting the project.
“There are a lot of people who have been hugely supportive as have Flintshire Council and the community councils.”
People can donate by visiting www.parkinthepast.co.uk
North Wales Police have been informed of the vandalism. The crime reference number is S165389.
Anyone with information to help the police investigation is asked to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
See - http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/154299/fury-as-yobs-wreck-hope-project-s-minibus.aspx
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