Booths supermarket steps in after Ripon ginnel vandal attack

Vandals have now smashed all six plant troughs that were screwed into the wall of the ginnel leading from Booths car park into the city centre - the last three being destroyed by night time revellers in the last few weeks.

The organiser of the clean-up Sally Tweddle has criticised the supermarket for failing to fix a broken CCTV camera that overlooks the ginnel, which has remained broken for more than a year.

However, Booths says it is now investigating the repair of the camera and has offered to donate replacement planters and bedding plants in an effort to support the community.

A spokesperson for the supermarket in Marshall Way said: “Booths is very saddened to hear of the destruction of the planters, which is disheartening when the local community have been working so hard to make Ripon special.

“Booths would like to offer some replacement planters and bedding plants to support the local community in their bid to smarten up the ginnels.”

The supermarket has also offered to investigate a flooding problem in the ginnel, following a string of complaints.

The spokesperson said: “The maintenance and security teams at Booths are investigating the reported flooding and the repair of the CCTV cameras.”

The planters were installed by volunteers last year as part of a clean-up organised by community Facebook group Blow Your Horn Ripon in an attempt to improve the city’s appearance.

Ms Tweddle, who has managed to rescue most of the plants by replanting them in a garden in the ginnel that was created by volunteers, said: “I have been asking Booths to get their CCTV camera fixed since August last year but to no avail, even though promises were made months ago.

“If they had fixed that camera it might have caught the vandals on camera, or at least deterred people from doing this as it looks right down that ginnel.

“I have also been asking them to fix the flooding problem down that ginnel, as the pavement is their responsibility.

“I am therefore very pleased that Booths are taking their community responsibility seriously.

“The sooner they can mend the camera the better and it would be wonderful if they could do something about the flooding before we reach next year.

“I would also like to say thank you to Booths for the offer of the replacement planters and flowers and we will definitely take them up on that.

“It did look really nice down there and everyone commented on it. You just get a small number of people in Ripon who see something nice and want to trash it, which is very disappointing.”