Vandals damage The Cornfield Project
The Cornfield Project, the National Flagship Site for Grow Wild a Kew Gardens Initiative, is a recreational space for adults and children incorporating the Men’s Shed, nd providing outdoor space of natural beauty between the Ballysally and Millburn housing estates.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdHowever, the area has been the target of vandalism in recent times. A large polytunnel had been damaged and wooden raised beds set on fire.
Last week it was the turn of under-age drinkers to plague the site.
Billy Ellis, Community Outreach Worker from Millburn Community Association, said: “I was alerted by a few different residents that there was a crowd of youths drinking at the Cornfield. When I arrived there, I saw a group of approximately 13 young people drinking alcohol at the outdoor classroom area within the woods.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“They were accompanied by two adults in their forties who should know better than to be drinking with young people. Obviously, there was no social distancing rules being observed, but it was disturbing to find the adults sitting drinking and smoking with the group. I informed the group that the PSNI had been called and they quickly moved on. The PSNI have been contacted and CCTV and video evidence has been handed over to the police.
“After this incident, The Cornfield Project decided that during this pandemic we would remove the outdoor learning space so to not encourage people using it as an illegal drinking den.”
The area has now been cleared up of all the empty bottles tins and improvised drug taking vessels which were left behind and the outdoor classroom seating area was taken down.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMr Ellis addedd: “It is disheartening that there is a small element who think they can use the site in this manner drinking and taking drugs, then leaving the mess behind endangering the children who run about the site enjoying it as it should. However once we get back to normality we will rebuild this area for when the groups are ready.”
* A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdOur journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.
You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWith a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.
Thank you