Two members of the People’s Project spent three hours at the seated areas of the Old Bridge House last Thursday.
They watered and dead headed flowers in the planter, weeded and swept up the whole area, in a bid to make it look nicer for the extra visitors in the town as the area is part of Dumfries’s Historic Trail and is used by many.
Anne Simpson was one of them and said: “More importantly we had lovely chats with local people and visitors to the town, all of whom thanked us for the work we were doing.
“We also did our best to sell the region as many people were visiting Dumfries and Galloway for the first time.
“This area is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike to have a rest, read about the history of Dumfries or take photos of the iconic Devorgilla Bridge. It was sponsored by local firms, two of the planters built by Dumfries Academy’s Rural Skills Group and maintained by the People’s Project. It is an area that is certainly appreciated by many.”
Returning to the site on Sunday to carry out more watering, they were dismayed to find a planter had been chucked into the River Nith. There were also copious miniature bottles of a vodka-based drink called Cool Shot, all smashed and scattered over the whole area.
Anne said: “The planter was heavy, filled with rocks for ballast, topsoil, compost and beautiful flowers. It would have taken several people to move it despite being fuelled by alcohol. It is now well embedded in the Nith, in an awkward place with very little chance of it being recovered.
“All we ask is why? There are many groups working hard to make Dumfries a better place, to live, work and visit. What is going to be done about this mindless vandalism?”
Appealing for information, she added: “There must have been a lot of noise so if someone knows anything about this incident, please contact Police Scotland on 101 or register the incident at Dumfries Police Station in Loreburn Street.”
- The missing planter is pictured above before it was damaged
