Food crops poisoned as community garden hit by criminal damage spree
A south Belfast community garden has been hit by a series of criminal damage incidents which has included food crops being poisoned.
Local people and Belfast City Council elected representatives have expressed shock and anger over the incidents at the Friends of the Field community garden at the Botanic Meadow on Stranmillis Embankment.
And police say they are conducting an investigation after plants, including food and earth beds, were systematically poisoned with herbicide.
An expensive garden water infrastructure was also broken at the community facility.
Belfast City Council, which owns the land, has estimated £6,000 to £8,000 worth of damage, and Queen’s University, who have a neighbouring plot, are examining whether long term damage has been caused.
Members of Friends of the Field have said they are intending to set up a GoFundMe page to recoup the damage, and members of other community gardens around Belfast have offered assistance with the damaged vegetation.
The wrecking spree is believed to have been conducted on Tuesday, October 14, and police received a report on the damage the next day.
Officers have carried out a number of enquiries and are appealing to anyone with information to contact them using the witness appeal form or call them on 101.
Last weekend, despite the damage, Friends of the Field held a sold-out Pumpkin Patch special day. But then on Wednesday, (October 21st), members reported new criminal damage, this time on a side door to the gardens, where it appears someone broke the lock with a hammer.
Green Party Councillors Áine Groogan and Brian Smyth, attended the site after the damage was reported.
Councillor Groogan, who is a representative for the Botanic District Electoral Area condemned the criminal damage.
She said: “I am absolutely horrified to witness what has been done at the Friends of the Field site in Botanic Gardens.
“Huge amounts of fresh produce that was going to be used to support people locally have been contaminated, plants destroyed with chemical burns and valuable equipment tampered with and broken.
“This was a deliberate act of vandalism that I honestly can’t even get my head around.”
Councillor Smyth, Green Party Group Leader at the council, said: “I am disgusted at this and the harm that it will cause to the very important work that Friends of the Field carry out locally.
"Myself and Áine Groogan are working with Belfast City Council to try to bring forward a recovery plan for the site.”