Vandalised allotment on TV

Apr 22 2009 by Liam Murphy, Birkenhead News

A VANDALISM-HIT allotment site in Wirral is going to be featured on primetime TV.

Thornton Allotments, in Bidston, have endured major problems with vandalism in recent years, and have seen occupancy rates plummet even though other Wirral allotments have waiting lists.

Now it will be shown as part of a new strand to the popular BBC TV show Gardeners World – and Clive Ransom, secretary of the embattled allotments, says he will use the opportunity to highlight how little help they have received from the council.

The allotments are overseen by cultural services, and Mr Ransom has said he will use the opportunity to highlight the ‘clear neglect’ of the allotments by the council.

It is only a month since the allotments’ 11 tenants – out of a possible 32 – returned to find another weekend vandalism spree had left all their sheds either broken into, vandalised or covered with graffiti.

Mr Ransom has long campaigned for some intervention from the local authority to improve security.

A council spokesman said: “Additional funding, in the amount of £100,000 per year for a period of three years, was requested to upgrade security at allotment sites throughout Wirral in March of last year. It was considered fully by the council but not approved.”