Vandals have wreaked havoc across Moray – terrorising a coastal neighbourhood and causing thousands of pounds of damage to a village primary school.
Portknockie resident Donald Morrison claimed the situation in the village’s Haig Street had become so bad he and his neighbours were considering leaving the area.
The 74-year-old retired policeman said: “I had garden fittings wrecked on Wednesday night, and we’re thinking of putting our house up for sale rather than continue to put up with this vandalism.
“Our neighbour recently bought a bungalow here as she is retiring in a few months, but she’s now considering putting it back on the market.
“She had her clothes poles and garden furniture wrecked, and her gnomes were smashed.
“It is just getting out of hand here, every house on Haig Street has suffered.
“You can understand people breaking into a place to get something, but this is just wanton vandalism.”
Police confirmed officers had been called to investigate the vandalisms.
Chairman of Portknockie Community Council, Fraser Weir, laid the blame for the destruction at the feet of local youngsters.
Mr Weir said: “At our last meeting we discussed it with police officers and it’s something they are well aware of.
“The trouble is that it’s so hard to catch people in the act – it would be fine to go back to the day’s of the village bobby, but that’s never going to happen.
“We used to get up to mischief when we were youngsters, but never anything like this.”
Children returning to Lhanbryde Primary following an in-service day at the start of the week were dismayed to find that vandals had struck at the school.
Thugs shattered several windows while the building was unoccupied, and police are appealing for information.
Fochabers and Lhanbryde councillor Sean Morton, who lives near the school, condemned those responsible for the damage.
He said: “It could just be youngsters who don’t like school – but whoever it was needs to stop and think about what they’re doing.”
Fellow councillor Douglas Ross added: “The teaching staff and pupils take great pride in Lhanbryde Primary School and they must have been very disappointed to see so much damage done in a mindless act.”
Earlier this week, vandals had destroyed a pair of popular gazebos in a Garmouth public park, which will cost about £500 to repair.