Vandals wreck school greenhouse

A STUNNING school garden has been reduced to tatters after heartless vandals slashed through the greenhouse and trashed the crops.

The well-tended garden, brimming with vegetables and fruit, was the pride and joy of green-fingered youngsters at Whitegate End School, Chadderton, who regularly stayed behind to lend a hand at the gardening club.

But they returned to school this week to find their efforts had been in vain after cruel yobs had trampled their plants, tore holes in their shelter and uprooted their vegetables.

The selfish act of vandalism came as a blow to staff and pupils, who were only last week nominated for a Pride In Oldham award.

Learning mentor Cathy Lees, who has been involved with the project, said: “We found the whole garden totally and utterly trashed, there were tomatoes hanging from the roof and dirt thrown everywhere. The children are absolutely devastated, they don’t understand why people have done this — they have not gained a thing. It has only been a week since one of our sheds was broken into, and now this.”

Over the last two years parents have collected a staggering 23,000 Morrisons Let’s Grow vouchers to fund the school’s foray into growing organic produce.

Their efforts have even kept the school kitchen stocked, with cooks using the healthy home-grown veg in their school meals. Run by parents Dawn Repton and Collette Ryan, the club has also branched out into the community, with locals tending to the crops during the summer holidays.

Cathy added: “This affects everyone at the school.”