Attack on digger ‘wanton vandalism’

The spray-painted machine

VANDALS have daubed graffiti on valuable earth-moving equipment at a village road works.

The raiders sprayed black paint over a giant digger being used to replace drystone walls at Church Road, Uppermill, and defaced a road sign.

Gerry McCoy, a director of the construction company carrying out the work , said: “It’s wanton vandalism. The machine is on hire to us and although we can claim for the damage on insurance it’s terrible someone would do something like this.

“They sprayed black paint, letters and squiggles over the machine’s bodywork. It looked a real mess. We would definitely prosecute the culprits if they were found.”

The company is working on two other sites across Saddleworth where, along with other contractors, millions of pounds are being spent on replacing and repairing sections of roadside walls, boosted by a cash injection from Europe.

Local councillor Christine Wheeler said: “This damage is awful. There is just no excuse to target this kind of machinery.

“Why this happens, we don’t know. But I do not see how anyone can get any satisfaction from doing this sort of thing. After all, the extra costs will come from public funds.

“It is just an unwarranted nuisance,” she added.