Vandals ruin Hillsborough garden

Vandals have caused more than £10,000 of damage to a Hillsborough memorial garden in Merseyside.

Memorial stones were thrown across the gardens in Port Sunlight village and decorative balustrades were kicked and smashed during the attack.

Chief executive of the village trust Lionel Bolland was called out after midnight on Sunday and saw the damage.

He said: "I was sickened by what they had done, it is despicable. What must go through their minds?"

The garden was dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster shortly after the tragedy 20 years ago.


  Whoever is responsible should take a look at themselves in the mirror and think about what they have done. It is sick

Lionel Bolland
Set up by Unilever, it was created to help many of their staff, who lost loved ones in the Leppings Lane crush, pay their respects.

Mr Bolland said: "It is the worst act of vandalism I have ever seen and to have ever taken place in our gardens.

"We have gardeners who lovingly tend to the memorial lawns on a regular basis - they give a lot of comfort to a lot of people.

"It is just heartbreaking and I cannot comprehend why anyone would do this.

"Whoever is responsible should take a look at themselves in the mirror and think about what they have done. It is sick."

A police spokesman confirmed that the incident was under investigation.

The 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster was marked on 15 April this year with 25,000 people attending a memorial service to remember the 96 Liverpool fans who died during the club's FA Cup semi-final at the Sheffield Wednesday ground.

The garden is situated in Port Sunlight, a village created in the 19th Century by William Lever for the workers of his nearby soap factory

bas**rds, sorry but I hope harm comes to them in any form.

Its a fair bet it wasnt at Liverpool supporter.

There are some really sick people out there. Gives you chills how sickening they actually are.

That's absolutely terrible .....I mean who would've had the nerve to do something so disgusting ...hope they are caught and the garden is quickly rearranged back .

F***ing cu*ts.

not only have they damaged the garden they damged the hearts of the people who love the garden and take good care of it .

What the hell is wrong with bloody people!?!

not only have they damaged the garden they damged the hearts of the people who love the garden and take good care of it .

Very well put that.

its the f***in' young gangs of youths who hang around by the station, drinking and doing drugs,
and being a blight on the village, about time the police acted as they are always being dog turds

That absolutely F***ing sickens me.
What some people will do is just unbelievable.
I really hope someone gets hold of these cu*ts and breaks their legs.

This garden has meaning to the Hillsborough victims and their families and messing up this garden basically mean making a mockery of  the Hillsborough disaster .

cu*ts. How can people have so little respect for an incident which cost 96 lives, and has ruined so many more?

Disgusting. Even if they aren't a Liverpool fan, that's more than I'd expect.

I hope these cu*ts get what's coming to them.

F***ing cu*ts.

Sums it up.

Low life cu*ts.   

Probably the same nasty cu*ts who chucked blue paint over the memorial at the ground,F***ing disgrace

See You Next Tuesdays.

C     U

Saddening really.

Karma works in mysterious ways. Hopefully it'll work sooner rather than later.

Strictly speaking cu*ts do have their uses as we all know, these turds are a complete waste of space and a labotomy would be the best solution to the problem.Somebody knows who these F***ing low lifes are -  throw them to the lions and let them be torn apart.

i hope they are ashamed of themselves, but chances are they dont give a flying f**k and now getting pissed in a park stopping kids from playing on swings whilst their layabout dole head parents are at home spaced out with the needle containing their smack in still sticking out their arms

wee scumbags, hope they get caught but what will the police do a little slap on the wrist and they'll be out running rampage again next weekend, a good kicking is what they need 

F***ing scum cu*ts.

Wouldn't arse me if I heard a gang of lads took a trip over to Port Sunlight and kicked F**k out of the tw*ts.

Worse thing is if it is a gang of kids, guaranteed a couple will call themselves Liverpool fans and they won't even have a clue what the gardens are about.

Could also be bitters or manc gobshites like!

The bizzies are F***ing crap,all this sh*t is going on and they close police stations make claims about dubious crime figures and a policeman on the beat is as rare as a trophy at goodison park.

Disgusting, waste of space, low-life, cock-munching twatting c**t pieces of sh*t.

I sincerely hope who ever done this gets what's coming to them. Very soon!

Pure scum.

I am appalled and disgusted at this senseless act of vandalism.

One question I would like to ask them is Why?

I hope they rot in hell.

Wankers.

This sort of thing makes me mad.  Hopefully the people who done this will be needing their own memorial soon.

this is the damage 

^^ That's terrible that......Heartbreaking for the families of the 96 

I sincerely hope who ever done this gets what's coming to them. Very soon!

Pure scum.

Couldn't agree more.

this is the damage  

How on earth would someone think that this would be fun. It just sickens me, it is unbelievable.   

Pure Scum

I hope they fail all their exams, cos no one who really understood , no matter what team or colour would of done it,,,

That doesn't look like the work of a couple of kids.

No. That looks like a sustained and organised attack. More to this than meets the eye. It's disgusting.

disgusting doesn't cover it mate some assholes have put some time and effort into this they'll no doubt be ecstatic with these pics - sad bas**rds.

F***ing cu*ts.

Echo that completely.

Beyond me how anyone could do such a thing. Hope they get what's coming to them.

Scumbag Manc or Blueshite tw*ts.

Hope their houses burn down with them inside.

Thats an absolute disgusting and low thing to do I really hope that someone kicks the little fuckers heads in.

Surely don't understand what the Hillsborough means to us. Its not a footballing matter in this sense, its to pay our respects and why can't they understand that?

It's unbelievable what kind of people are there in this world.. digusting behaviour from these fuckers.

Disgraceful F***ing disgraceful.

Surely don't understand what the Hillsborough means to us. Its not a footballing matter in this sense, its to pay our respects and why can't they understand that?

I think that's what has disgusted everyone the most about this.

I'm unfortunately sure that the people who did this understood completely what the Hillsborough tragedy means to us, it's why they targeted it, to try and hurt us the most they could.

This is an absolute disgrace. Karma will come around to them now, these dickheads deserve every bit which comes to them

Surely SOMEBODY must know who did the appalling destruction of the site !!

I just hope that they get what they are due -  and I don't mean 10 days community service  !!

I just can't believe that somebody could do something like that AND get away with it scott-free !!



We have just got to get these creeps found !!

Anyone with information can contact Birkenhead CID on 0151 777 2263, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

No news  yet ??

Surely thay must have bragged to someone by now or shown some images or videos they probably took at  the time .

Pack of F***ing pricks

Scum bags like this should be beaten with a stick full of rusty nails I hope that they are found and strung up by there balls

Arrest over Hillsborough damage

Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the vandalism of a Hillsborough memorial in Wirral.

About £10,000 of damage was caused when memorial stones were thrown across gardens and decorative balustrades were smashed in Port Sunlight on Sunday.

Merseyside Police said that a 16-year-old was being questioned.

A reward has been offered by an unnamed voluntary organisation for the successful prosecution of those responsible, said a village spokesman.

The garden was created to remember the 96 Liverpool football fans who died at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield 20 years ago.

Officers are still reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

Police maintain the incident was "not an anti-Hillsborough attack".

LINK

Just an update

great news they arrested some one

Hope the pr**k gets ID'd and proper justice is served out.

Looking at that pic posted by james08kop I'd say there was more than one of the little cu*ts I hope they get the rest of them.

Update

Arrests over Hillsborough damage

Police have made more arrests in connection with the vandalism of a Hillsborough memorial in Wirral.

Two boys, aged 16 and 13, have been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage.

They were questioned on Friday following the arrest of a 16-year-old boy the day before.

All three have now been released on police bail. A voluntary group is offering a reward for the successful prosecution of those responsible.

The garden was created to remember the 96 Liverpool football fans who died at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield 20 years ago.

Officers are still reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

Police maintain the incident, which resulted in damage put at £10,000, was "not an anti-Hillsborough attack".

LINK

HELP RESTORE HILLSBOROUGH GARDEN

James Carroll 12 June 2009

   Liverpool fans were today urged to play their part in helping restore the Hillsborough Memorial Garden in Port Sunlight after mindless vandals damaged the commemorative area last weekend.
Memorial stones were thrown across the garden in the Merseyside village and decorative balustrades were smashed during the attack by a gang of youths in the early hours of Sunday morning.
 
"Everybody I've spoken to in the village is deeply upset by this," said Lionel Bolland of the Port Sunlight Village Trust.
 
"I can't believe how anybody could act in such a base way and can't find the words to describe how despicable this act is.
 
"Someone was looking at the smashed stones lying on the ground and said to me that they might as well be the 96 who lost their lives in Hillsborough lying there.
 
"It's going to cost a lot of money to restore, because the monument features natural stone.
 
"We need to make sure that it's carefully and sensitively restored."
 
Distressed villagers are now appealing to supporters to help them raise the minimum cost of £20,000 needed to cover the insurance excess and repair and restore the monument.
 
hillsboroughgarden1Port Sunlight resident Kerri Dobbins told Liverpoolfc.tv: "I was so distressed by the whole thing that I felt the need to do something to help.
"The pain the Hillsborough families are feeling because of this damage must be horrendous.
 
"Although I'm a Stockport County supporter, I remember the day of Hillsborough vividly. It's ingrained on my mind.
 
"I watched the events unfold live on television and was distraught by the press photographs that arrived the following day. They've constantly been in my mind for the last 20 years.
 
"We want to put right the wrongs that have been done to the garden and restore it."
 
Leaflets will be distributed around Merseyside in hotels and railway stations urging fans to donate to the cause.
 
Mr Dobbins added: "We need to raise a minimum of £20,000 to cover the insurance excess, but we're hoping to raise over and above that so we can install CCTV security in the area, which the insurance won't pay for, as well as tidy up the other areas of the garden.
 
"Any remaining funds will be donated to the Hillsborough Family Support Group."
 
Fans can currently donate by cheque, which should be made out The Hillsborough Memorial Restoration Fund and sent to -
 
VK Dobbins
c/o Port Sunlight Village Trust
23 King Georges Drive
Port Sunlight
Wirral
CH62 5DX
 
A bank account is expected to be opened on Monday to allow fans to directly transfer funds to the appeal.
 
The memorial area was built by Unilever shortly after the stadium disaster 20 years ago and is situated near the Grade II listed Lady Lever Art Gallery.
 
Port Sunlight Village Trust is a registered charity (1074713).

Thanks for the info RedPuppy and MsG.

If the damage caused was £10k why do they need £20k just for the Insurance excess or have i got it wrong.

In response to the question about the cost of the damage:
After examination of the damage by various experts, the Trust's latest estimate is a cost of £30,000 - £40,000.  Our insurance excess is £20,000.
We're still waiting for final figurers to come in from restorers

The official appeal will be launched shortly.  Details and updates will soon be on our website,
www.portsunlightvillage.com

Thanks to everyone for the great response to what has happened here.

Thanks for posting an address for donations. I have mailed out a Money Order today for $25.00(US).  It wont fix all of it but I hope it helps.

I cant believe that 2-3 minutes worth of vandalism can do so much. Whoever did that should be beat to hell.  Once I read the post I was instantly angered. Youth today have 0 respect for anything noble or memorable.

You know it was a group of 5-8 kids drunk acting like assholes. If I had a family member killed at Hillsborough and read this. I would go out of my fukcing mind.

The worst thought about it is, whoever did it is Local. A neighborhood kid. I dont think anyone would travel to the memorial for the purpose of destroying it. If their local they MUST know why the memorial is there.

No respect. No respect at all.

That goes beyond Football or sport.  That is a memorial to family and friends who died tragically.

I will be sending a check as well. I may be a bit on funds right now but that is something worth giving.

To think some kids would think this is "cool" to do is just...it is so sad and downright pathetic.

I hope they throw everything by law standards at these kids.

Usually i tend to feel bad for kids as we have all done dumb things but this just crosses the line and then some.

Thugs. F***ing scumbags.

FAO YANK_LFC_FAN, I understand your comments about the youth of today not having any respect for anything noble or memorable. However, I would just like to speak for some on behalf of some of the younger members of this forum (myself included), that we're not all like that.

YNWA.

Certainly my comment was not geared towards ALL youth. I think the majority of youth is no different now, than I was. 

It was directed to the assholes who destroyed the memorial.  Just that action alone shows me that they have 0 respect for anyone or anything. I could be wrong and It may of been adults who destroyed it. However, plain and random vandalism like that would normally be carried out by kids.

Jeeze... there's low, and then there's this, utter disgrace so it is

If I knew who these people were I would snap there legs 

this made me feel physically sick and brought tears to my eyes

Scumballs, I hope they rot in hell.

did they ever find out who it was?

Jail is too good for the scum who did this.

I'll never understand some people. Little bas**rds, thats all they are!!

An update on this.

Work has been carried out to repair the Portland Stonework, well done to all involved in raising the money to have it restored.