Vandals destroy Staffordshire village bench
Yobs have destroyed a village bench in three attacks just three months after it was installed by the community.
The wooden seat at Chapel Street playground in Norton Canes, was firstly spoiled by graffiti. Sometime later youths then reportedly kicked off the sides of the bench before finally returning to smash up the rest of it.
Residents say they are 'absolutely disgusted' by the vandalism. Now a fund has been started to reward anyone with information that may lead to catching the culprits.
Linda Florence, a member of the parish council, said they had worked very hard to enhance the village to make it a pleasant place to live.
She said the bench was used as a resting point by people walking their dogs and for picnics by youngsters at the local children's home.
"It's disgraceful that there's no pride in the village by some people," she said. "We just can't believe that anyone would completely destroy a bench that had only just been put there."
The parish council has built up reputation for greatly improving the look of the village.
In recent years it secured funding to create two jubilee gardens on redeveloped plots of land in the village.
The gardens, the Burntwood Road and Brownhills Road junctions with Hednesford Road, have proved popular visiting points for residents. Ice Age boulders, dating back 300 to 400 million years, have also been placed around the village.
Work has also been done on land at the crossroads in the centre of the village.
And for the last two years Norton Canes has entered Staffordshire's Best Kept Village competition, seeing householders doing up their gardens, businesses have adorned their frontages with colourful hanging baskets, and everyone helping to spruce up the village centre and communal gardens.
Mrs Florence said: "Councillors and the community have worked really hard to make the village look nice. Our message is 'This is your village - look after it' but it seems not everyone is listening."
