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Vandals pull gravestones from ground in Wetwang Church yard
MINDLESS vandals have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage in Wetwang by upending cemetery gravestones, hurling flower pots across the graveyard, throwing a bench on to the bowling green and smashing a window in the bowls clubhouse.
The clubhouse has been the target of attacks for the last two weeks, but the hooligans have stooped to a new low by pulling 10 gravestones out of the ground and moving an 11th.
The gravestones have been uprooted with many of their concrete bases still intact, and dozens of bunches of flowers laid by mourners were strewn around the cemetery grounds.
The senseless attack has been condemned by villagers and is bound to cause severe emotional trauma for relatives of those buried in the cemetery.
The damage is believed to have happened overnight on Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday and the chairman of the parish council, Frank Wilson, was shocked at the scene.
"It is just stupid vandalism, these people have no respect," he said.
"This must be so upsetting for the relatives of the people buried here."
Driffield police are investigating the incidents and confirmed that 11 gravestones were damaged. A police spokesperson also condemned the attack as mindless.
A local resident, who did not wish to be named, was furious with the damage caused to both the clubhouse and the gravestones. "It all seems to be completely mindless," he said.
The vandals had smashed a clubhouse window, hurled a bench on to the bowling green and even tried to prise the handle away from the door.
Wetwang Parish Council is responsible for the cemetery grounds and hopes to clear up the mess as soon as the police have finished investigating the site.
They have placed a sign on the cemetery warning visitors of the damage to try and lessen the shock of the appalling scene.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council officers were due to visit the site as the Driffield Post went to press.
A spokesman for the authority said the officers would be making the area safe and assessing the extent of the damage.
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Weather for Driffield
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South east
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