Yobs put Rishton allotment site under attack (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Yobs put Rishton allotment site under attack

7:00pm Monday 3rd September 2012 in News By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

Michael Bibby with his burned-out shed

AN ALLOTMENT site is coming ‘under attack’ from vandals who have set fire to sheds and killed livestock.

In the latest incident one of the sheds, which was used to store fruit and vegetables, was destroyed in an arson attack, and another badly damaged by the flames.

Earlier this year, 13 ducks and a goose were killed when somebody broke into the Parker Street allotments in Rishton and shot them with an air rifle.

Michael Bibby, who lives in Cornwall Road, has tended the site for the last 13 years and said that the damage had cost him more than £6,000.

The 68-year-old retired lorry driver said: “It is getting beyond a joke. It is getting out of hand.

“I have got to rebuild the shed now, which will cost me £3,000. That is if I decide to rebuild it, because it might all be pointless.

“You never know what you are going to face when you come down here.”

Mr Bibby’s wife Brenda, 65, also goes down to the allotment two to three times a week.

She said: “We should be enjoying our retirement, but it is just hard work, it is a struggle to keep it.

“But we are going to continue with it. We have got to, otherwise the vandals have won.”

Hyndburn crew manager Steve Hartley said: “Someone had set fire to the allotment shed. It was engulfed by the fire and the flames affected the shed next to it.

“We thought there were some animals inside, but they were outside, which was good.

“The owner came down and he was upset, as you can imagine. He put a lot of pride into his allotment.

“It follows previous vandal attacks which have included geese being killed and somebody breaking into a shed and stealing some chickens.”

He said that police were investigating the incident.

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