Vandals on the rampage

CIVIC pride . . . the town centre tropical island with members of the Bloom and Grow team when it was first launched

COUNCIL chiefs have condemned vandals who ran riot on a showpiece town centre floral display less than a week after it was put in place.

The eye-catching tropical island-style exhibit is part of Oldham’s Bloom and Grow entry. It was installed in High Street on Monday after weeks of design and preparation.

However, in the early hours of Wednesday, two youths were spotted moving items on the display and causing damage to props, including the anchor and treasure chest.

At around 10.30 that night, another set of yobs were then spotted uprooting plants from the back of the display and flinging them around High Street and Curzon Street.

Police were alerted to both incidents and members of the Bloom and Grow team have since visited the site and repaired the damage.

Oldham Council’s deputy leader Jackie Stanton said: “This is mindless vandalism that I simply cannot comprehend — nor excuse.

“Council staff have worked incredibly hard on the showpiece and other elements of this campaign, to make Bloom and Grow a success.

“The idea here is to simply make Oldham and the surrounding districts look beautiful.

“To have people attempting to ruin that is deeply disheartening.

“We had already been receiving positive feedback about this installation from the public — the vast majority of whom will no doubt view this vandalism with contempt.

“Bloom and Grow is about civic pride. The public deserves an attractive town centre environment and we will not be put off from our efforts by the actions of a few mindless yobs.”

Royton is next in line to benefit from two additional themed features as it is revitalised as part of the new judging route for Bloom and Grow.

When the North-West in Bloom panel visits Oldham on August 6 they will be taken through the town centre before journeying down Rochdale Road through Coldhurst, into Royton and ending at Tandle Hill Country Park.

One new feature, with an underwater theme, will be installed near the junction of Shaw Road and Broadway with a second sited close to Oozewood Road.

Campaign activity for Bloom and Grow is continuing in Royton’s Irk Valley tomorrow from 9am-1pm.