Upset as vandals set fire to scarecrows at Bury charity garden

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Vandals set fire to a couple of scarecrows on land at a Bury charity’s base on Tuesday night.
The fire service was called to Age UK Bury’s site in Mosley Street just before 11pm where the scarecrows and a bin in the organisation's front garden were alight.
At around the same time, a group of youths reportedly tried to set fire to land at an allotment, a passer-by said.
Firefighters attended and extinguished the flames in the space of around 20 minutes.
Age UK Bury chief executive Ania Stark-Ketcher discovered the damage when she came into work on Wednesday morning.
She said: “I was upset when I found out what had happened, one of the scarecrows has burnt to cinders.
ADVERTISEMENT“They have been in the garden for many years.
“It is concerning to me that if the people who did this can do something like that, what else are they capable of doing?”
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The damage comes as a blow to volunteers who work tirelessly to maintain the garden.
Ania said: “It is disappointing that this has happened because of the amount of hours that the volunteers put in together in the garden.
ADVERTISEMENT“We have also got children coming over for VE Day next week and we were going to put bunting out in the garden, but we’re not sure we’ll be able to do that now because of the damage that has been caused.”
Ania is urging residents in the area to be “vigilant” in case similar incidents happen.
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “Shortly after 10.50pm on Tuesday, April 29, one fire engine attended a fire involving two scarecrows and a bin on Mosley Avenue, Bury.
“Firefighters used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and we were in attendance for around 20 minutes.”
Greater Manchester Police has been approached for a comment about the incident.
If you have any information including CCTV footage, contact police on 101 or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.