THE destruction of a sensory garden dedicated to disabled and terminally ill children is naturally an extremely emotive issue.

Charity Caring Today handed over the garden in a Nelson park to Pendle Council two years ago thinking it would be safe in the authority’s care.

Not only was it a reflective area for the children and their families to enjoy, the garden also featured the hand and feet prints made by some of the youngsters.

Sadly a number of these children have since passed on.

Following a decision last week, after the poor state of the garden was detailed to councillors, it was decided for health and safety reasons to grass it over.

During the past two years the garden had fallen victim to vandals and according to the council it was no-longer fit for its original purpose and would need costly repairs.

What has most angered the charity over the issue however is not the council’s decision to close it, but the lack of consultation and the speed its workmen took to destroy it.

Within a day of the decision being made the garden was ripped up by council staff.

Caring Today did not get the chance to say it would take the garden and its maintenance back on, or the opportunity to try and preserve the precious hand and footprints.

According to the council the last thing staff wanted to do was cause any upset.

But with a little bit of communication by the authority before it was too late, this pain of losing the garden could easily have been avoided.