UPDATE: Vandals ruin Pages Park community garden!

A passer by reported on Wednesday, March 8, that signs had been ripped from the earth, just over a week after they had been ripped out at the end of February and a two metre maple sapling broken in half.

The lady said: “My children and I pass the garden every day walking the dog and it is difficult to explain to a three year old why anyone would do this!

“I just found the garden in this state again this morning (Wednesday) - I have replaced the posts as best I can and I hope they are in the right place.”

The garden is cared for by voluntary team Friends of Leighton-Linslade in Bloom, and some of the group visited on Wednesday afternoon to assess the plot and see how to better secure it.

Volunteer, David Rosie, 72, said: “This Friday we are intending to dig the signs in deeper and put more concrete in.

“I just don’t know what the answer is - we can’t make it vandal proof. We have to trust in people’s intellects.

“I would like to thank the lady for reporting it, as we rely on the public for information like that. Any help is good news. A lot of people walk through the garden and say what a good job we are doing. They always stop and chat and are obviously keeping a watch out.

“A lot of our workers and volunteers are quite remote and have to travel by car to get there, so we are very appreciative when someone notifies us

of news like this.”

At the end of February, David, and his fellow team in Friends of Leighton-Linslade in Bloom, were left upset after their Pages Park community garden was ruined between the evening of Sunday February 26 and Monday, February 27.

That Monday, the determined team tidied up the mess, after noticeboards and concrete bases had been ripped from the ground, and a two metre maple sapling broken in half, its supporting stakes thrown into the middle of the flower beds.

David said: “I don’t know why people do this. I don’t have their mentality.

“The maple sapling was just coming into bud and the final insult was the used condom left under the bench, as we had to clean it up.

“How much longer does the town have to stand by, whilst these vandals destroy the hard work of a few dedicated volunteers and spoil the enjoyment of many folk who visit this garden?”

The group were given the circa 20 metre by 15 metre plot around three years ago by the town council, and the garden has already seen two incidents of vandalism.

One occurred after a public park event two years ago and stakes and plants were rippedout, while shortly afterwards “motobikes or bikes” churned up the garden path gravel.

But the team won’t be kept down, proud of their work.

David added: “I’ve joined the Street Watch team and we’ve been patrolling round Church Square and Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre amongst other places. We’ve had a good reception. I also tell people to pick up litter if I see them drop it on the floor.

“Friends of Leighton-Linslade in Bloom are soon going to divide the community garden plants. We’ll sell half at a stall in Leighton Buzzard market - there will be one in May and one in June - and we will use the others for floral displays in the town.”