Fife charity issues warning after project vandalised

A heritage panel placed by the environment group CLEAR in Buckhaven was destroyed, while three of its plaques were removed.

The group has ordered replacements for the plaques and the panel, but warned that it is not in the financial position to keep doing so.

Work by the group has been vandalised in the past – one of its unique ‘wee libraries’ was set on fire, its growing space was targeted last year, and some of its other projects have been vandalised.

Despite the most recent setback, member Allan Armstrong believes there has been less vandalism than in the past.

“I think it’s just that we’re communicating it more,” he said. “I don’t think it’s worse.

“We’re just putting it on Facebook more.”

Allan said CLEAR is staying positive about the projects, despite the vandalism, and will continue to do more in the area.

“You’ve got to keep going,” he said. “We’ve got to keep driving through. It will change things. Maybe we could look at other anti-vandalism measures being put in place.

“There is always a risk doing anything in a public area.”

CLEAR has ordered new plaques and panels to replace the removed and damaged ones, but Allan warned that might not always be the case.

“We’ll replace it this time but we won’t be in a position to replace them again,” he told the Mail.

For more info, visit www.facebook.com/ClearFife/.