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Thieves wreck butterfly garden

From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Tuesday 30th Mar 2004.

A BUTTERFLY garden in a Blackburn park has been destroyed just a day after dedicated volunteers built it.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust volunteer Joanne Ramdewor led a team of three volunteers on the new project in Queen's Park off Queen's Park Road last Tuesday.

But when she returned on Wednesday to add the finishing touches she found the whole area had been destroyed and £150-worth of plants stolen.

Joanne, 24, said: "My first reaction was one of utter disbelief. All we wanted to do was create a nice area for people to enjoy and relax.

"I am really angry. It took us nearly all day to get it right so that butterflies would be attracted to the area.

"We will have to apply for another grant to rectify the damage. I don't even know if there is any point getting grants to try it again now the project has been scuppered."

The damage and theft was reported to the police on Thursday.

The garden was the latest in a series of projects backed by Blackburn with Darwen Council to rejuvenate the area.

Other projects included bird and bat boxes, and wild flower meadows.

The butterfly garden was created to attract Red Admiral and Cabbage White butterflies as well as new species to the park.

Jack Yates, chairman of the park supporters group, said: "Call it criminal damage or unsocial behaviour, we just can't believe it.

"The group will be prepared to take out a private summons against anyone who is caught."

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