Vandals target allotment greenhouse

A frustrated parish councillor preparing a stunning display of village blooms today talked about finding his greenhouse wrecked by vandals.

Ten panes of glass were shattered in the attack on parish councillor Keith Begley’s allotment in Delph.

And newly-planted blooms in hanging baskets, funded by the Wake Up Delph Committee, were covered in shards of glass.

The attack came only a few days before the hanging baskets were to be placed at key points in the village as part of the Whit Friday celebrations.

For a year, Councillor Begley, who has just been appointed vice chairman of Saddleworth Parish Council, has had problems with vandals attacking the greenhouse on his riverside allotment.

“I have had 13 panes of glass broken in the last 12 months,” he said. “But this attack is by far the worst.

“I don’t believe any villagers were involved in this unthinking and stupid act — our people really care about the community.”

Last year, vandals caused uproar when they stole eight hanging baskets, costing nearly a thousand pounds, from locations along The Sound.

PC Mark Clough, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “We are investigating the incident and keeping surveillance on the area.”