Dales woman's shock as vandals wreck mum's memorial

A Pateley Bridge woman was left horrified when she discovered via social media that vandals had wrecked the lovely memorial bench to her late mother.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Aug 2018, 12:16 BST
Updated 16th Aug 2018, 15:46 BST
Ruined - The totally destroyed memorial bench in Pateley Bridge,Ruined - The totally destroyed memorial bench in Pateley Bridge,
Ruined - The totally destroyed memorial bench in Pateley Bridge,

Sariah Broadhead, who has lived in the town for 32 years, installed the bench 18 years ago in a quiet area of Pateley’s Millennium Green next to the woods after her mum Floss Scott died of cancer.

Sarah said: “My mum was well liked by the community and unfortunately cancer took hold of her very quickly and she was only 50 when she passed in 1997.“”We raised money to celebrate the millennium by applying for a lottery grant and raising funds to place picnic benches a pond and a bike track for the local children.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“It was my father who was very involved and thought it was a lovely place for my mum’s memorial bench to be placed.“He only lives at the end of the road and was a place for me and my family to go sit as she doesn’t have a grave.”

Most Popular
The plaque to Floss Scott at the bench in Pateley Bridge,The plaque to Floss Scott at the bench in Pateley Bridge,
The plaque to Floss Scott at the bench in Pateley Bridge,

Sariah had no idea that the bench had ben attacked until she saw a video of the scene, which she assumed had been taken by the culprit or culprits themselves.

What she saw shocked and disgusted her.She said: “I only discovered how I found the bench had been destroyed. One of what seems to have been a group of teenagers had posted it being damaged on social media.“The video shows someone doing it. It was posted on Snapchat.

“I just found it so upsetting that my mum has no grave so it was the only place I could go and sit. Now I can’t even walk my dog down there.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The matter has been been passed on to the police.North Yorkshire Police PC Bill Hickson, who is based at Pateley Bridge Police Station, said: “This incident has been reported to the police and is being investigated. “So far no one has been arrested and no charges have been laid.”

Sariah said everyone she knew had been upet by the news of the vandalism but she hoped something good would come from her traumatic experience.

She said: “The disrespectful actions by some teenagers have shocked and saddened the community.“I just want my story to, hopefully, educate and shame anyone involved.”

More news you may be interested in...

MP backs Advertiser's big town centre survey

Related topics:Snapchat