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Wolverhampton’s hopes of winning a prestigious civic garden prize have been dashed by attacks by mindless vandals.
The city had hoped to perform well in the Heart of England In Bloom competition, due to be judged in the next few weeks.
But as video journalist Nicky Butler discovered, a minority have ended any hope of an award.
Devastated city council chiefs today described the vandalism in St Peter’s Gardens as a “truly sad state of affairs”. Around 230,000 bedding plants and 74,000 bulbs are planted across the city to create stunning displays in nearly 200 flower beds especially for the competition.
Judges are due to tour the city next month but the ruined blooms will not be replaced.
Dave McGlynn, city council landscape manager, said: “We were hoping to impress the Heart of England in Bloom judges with this display but it has been ruined and no more plants are available to replace the damaged bedding.
“This could cost us dearly in not winning a major award, despite the hard work by gardeners from streetscene services across the city centre.
“We can only replace so many plants and I would ask the people that are doing this to not steal from the displays.
“They are there for the benefit of all and to try and brighten up our city, make it more attractive and make us proud of where we live and work.”
St Peter’s Gardens is in the grounds of St Peter’s Church in the city centre and officers say it is not the first time louts have trampled all over the flowers.
Councillor Matthew Holdcroft, cabinet member for culture, said: “It is truly a sad state of affairs when flower displays, planted for the enjoyment of everyone, are subject to such mindless acts of vandalism.
“The perpetrators should be quite ashamed for destroying weeks of hard work.”
Wolverhampton has won a silver gilt in the Heart of England in Bloom contest for the past two years, prompting officials to pull out all stops in an effort to be worthy of gold this time around.
9 Comments
Scum!!!!
As a wulfrunian I have to say is anyone surprised?- the place is going down the drain year by year- no wonder we are the laughing stock across the country, if it wasnt for my job i would the be joning the mass exodus to escape, im afraid Wolverhampton is finished.
the council need to get down to the garden centre and fix it.
Sam 3: A wasted comment considering the expense so far. You would have been better to say the Council should fix the vandals not the garden.
about time we got a law, if any one caught vandelising , then go round there house smash everything up see how they feel then, utter scum this countrys breeding now
so we let the vandals win then? Sam’s right we can’t let them rule the place.
BRISBANE BAGGIE SAID I AGREE WITH WOLF AUDITOR.IT ALSO HAPPENS OVER HERE IN AUSTRALIA. THESE IDIOT’S JUST THINK IT’S A JOKE THEY LAUGH AT THE LAW THE JUGDGES WITH A STUPID WIG ON ARE JUST A LAUGHING STOCK IT IS ABOUT TIME THEY BROUGHT THE WHIP BACK. I REMEMBER OUR DAD SAYING WHEN THEY HAD A TAST OF IT THEY NEVER CAME BACK THE JALES ARE OVERFLOWING THE MONEY THEY SPEND ON PRISNORS COULD BE BETTER SPENT ON PENSIONERS.
Yes, not long ago I spotted some young men vandalising flowers outside the church. I mentioned this to a police officer ( yes, there was one walking across Queen Square). I received a frosty reply, ” What can we do about it? It’s trespass innit?”
Sic gloria transit mundi
Council should fix the vandals first then garden we can’t let the vandals win, & yes we should bring back the Cane.
What happened to CCTV, as for as I can remember there is a camara at Queen Square.