Remembrance poppy display repaired after vandalism

Hazel Barker, who knits for the community project, has repaired the displays alongside Stuart Martin

Members of a community group have said they were left "disappointed" after a Remembrance display they created was damaged in a suspected act of vandalism.

Ahead of a Remembrance service next month, the bandstand in Ripon Spa Gardens had been draped with knitted poppies which were attached to sturdy netting.

However, members of Ripon Community Poppy Project examined the display on Wednesday and found it had been cut with what was believed to have been a sharp object.

Organisers Stuart Martin and Hazel Barker said they had since made repairs to the poppies, adding Remembrance was "too important" for them to be deterred by vandals.

Mr Martin said: "We were in the Spa Gardens doing some additional work to put some other bits and pieces up and then we noticed the displays on the bandstand just didn't look right.

"We went across and had a closer look and it looked as if they'd been pulled down.

"The netting we use is really really strong. I've tried to break it with my hands and I've been unable to do so. It looked as if it had been cut with a sharp object."

Knitters had spent about six months preparing the displays in the city, Mr Martin explained.

"Remembrance is the key event for us each year, it's what started the group," he said.

"We started back in 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War.

"We're a garrison town, so Remembrance is important to us in Ripon and it's disappointing when we've seen some of the displays damaged."

Ripon Community Poppy Project specialises in knitted displays for Remembrance

Mr Martin said the incident had been reported to the police, but he would like to know who had done it so he could educate them on what Remembrance was and why it was important.

"This is the second time in all the time we've been doing it that we've had damage. The first time it happened was in 2018," he said.

"The police were lucky enough to catch the culprits and we asked if we could go along and speak to them, which we did."

Mr Martin said on that occasion he had been able to sit down with several youths and showed them the names on the cenotaph.

"There was one young chap, he'd been involved in doing the damage, and when he saw some of the names and ages of the individuals that had been killed, he went white," he said.

"It really hit home how young some of these soldiers were that gave their lives so that he had the freedom to go around and do what he does."

Mr Martin said he hoped members of the group would have the same opportunity again.

"It doesn't matter how many times somebody comes along and damages it, we'll be out and we'll repair them because Remembrance is too important," he said.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed officers had received a report of criminal damage.

A force spokesperson added: "Thankfully, it is not believed that any lasting damage was caused, and the display has since been restored."

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