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No festive spirit

Jo Rostron
21/12/2005

CHRISTMAS decorations put up to bring some festive cheer to residents of an old folks' home have been ripped down and damaged by vandals.

Springbank Care Home, on Rochdale Road East, has gone to great lengths to make this year's display bigger and better than ever but like their efforts for VE Day when the bunting was torn down, they have been left with a major clear-up operation.

The home's owners dug into their own pockets to fund the decorations and efforts were supplemented with money raised through coffee mornings and a raffle.

But since they were put up last weekend, vandals have repeatedly targeted the display and the three large inflatables have been slashed and the lights ripped from their sockets.

Manager Carole Fielding said: "Sadly, yet again I need to report the wilful destruction night after night by some selfish people who think it is their right to try and take whatever they can.

"Not only do they try to steal the decorations, if they cannot succeed in taking them they will destroy them so no one else can enjoy them.

"At the end of the day it costs a lot in time, effort and money to put up the display and it is not just for us it is for everybody.

"We had a couple who live nearby knock on the door and leave a box of biscuits for the staff to say thank you because they make them smile every time they walk past."

But she said they refuse to let the mindless act of a few put a dampener on their Christmas and would continue to put them back up.

They were able to repair two out of three of the inflatables but the reindeer now lies in a heap in the garden.

"It took hours and hours to sort out all the damage when I could have been doing other things and had I not been able to repair them it would have cost £300 to replace them but we won't be beaten," she added.

Carol thanked all the staff for all their efforts with the decorations and the goodwill of J Pickford Roofing for putting up the display.