Fairy Garden vandalism will deprive Kirkcaldy families

That was the message from Pauline Buchan, service manager of the Cottage Family Centre in Templehall, who says that money which should be spent helping families in need to buy things like beds for their children to sleep in, is instead having to be spent carrying out repairs to the garden.

“It happens every year around this time and I just don’t think the people responsible realise the harm they are causing to their own community,” she said.

“We are a charity and we rely on donations and grants to survive. We had just been given a donation of £100 from the police which is going to have to be used to help rebuild the garden which is used by dozens of children in the area.”

Two teenagers were spotted on CCTV climbing a fence into the garden, which was created by parents and children with stone and glass footpaths, little wooden houses and other features, trashing everything in their path.

They kicked the paths away, smashed up houses, broke branches off trees and toppled flower pots, causing several hundred pounds of damage.

Kirsty Haston, children’s support worker, who helped organise the garden project, added: “It’s heartbreaking when the mums and children have spent so much time creating something which the children really loved, for it just to be smashed up like this.

“It was me who discovered it when I went to open the garden and it really upset me. Now we have to start all over again.

“This is an important garden not just for us but also for children from Fair Isle and Valley Nurseries who use it.”

Last year another part of the centre’s garden, created by the Dads’ Group to help the men by giving them a focus to build their skills and self confidence, was vandalised, with around £2000 of damage caused.

Police are investigating the latest incident.