Harrogate 'heartbreak' at memorial benches totally destroyed by mindless vandals in Pinewoods area

The spate of vandalism, which has seen as many as seven benches completely ruined in recent weeks, has left Mr Lyndon Wallace horrified by what he saw.

"It is with great sadness to report that our beautiful pinewoods have come under attack from mindless, moronic behaviour,” said Mr Wallace.

"In my experience, the individuals responsible have no respect for other people, property, the law or social norms of acceptable behaviour.

"This sickening, unacceptable and unforgivable criminal behaviour cannot be allowed to continue.

"My first thought was for the families who paid for these benches in memory of loved ones and how heart-broken they must now feel.

According to Mr Wallace, four memorial benches have been affected in the area between the War Memorial in Valley Gardens and Harlow Moor Road.

Since his original discovery, he says that three other benches have been destroyed next to the tarmac footpath from the recreation ground in the Pinewoods and Harlow Carr.

Mr Wallace had passed on his information on the vandalism to North Yorkshire Council and North Yorkshire Police.

Yesterday, he talked to a Harrogate-based police community support officer who, Mr Wallace says, where new patrols in the Pinewoods would be most effective.

He also intends to ask Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones MP to support a strong stance against this type of behaviour, not only in words but in what he describes as “decisive action.”

"Harrogate will decline and fall into the same abyss as so many other towns and cities around the country already losing the battle against antisocial behaviour.

"We can either close our eyes to this and say, well it is the times we live in, or we can say no this is not acceptable.”