Haverhill police tell vandals 'we will find you' following regular vandalism of Christmas features put up to help family of terminally ill mum
‘Senseless’ vandals and thieves who are targeting a Christmas display and grotto set up to help raise money for a child whose mum has terminal cancer are being warned ‘we can see you and we will find you’.
The warning has been issued by police in Haverhill after numerous upsetting incidents in Queens Square, where businesses have provided a Christmas tree, lighting and a grotto.
The proceeds from the grotto are to be donated to the grandparents of a nine-year-old Haverhill girl whose mum is being helped by St Nicholas Hospice Care because she has terminal cancer.
But mindless young vandals have repeatedly been damaging the display, breaking the picket fence surrounding the tree, smashing light bulbs and drop-kicking the grotto’s door.
On one occasion a man was seen stealing a present from the grotto.
All of the incidents have, however, been caught on CCTV, leading to Pc Jack Oakley, from the Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), to warn those responsible.
“We’ve had quite a few incidents in Queens Square, which have really embarrassed us because they are so senseless.
“We had kids breaking some bulbs and someone else broke the fence but they are the detectable ones and we know the suspects so we can talk to them and we had a grown man walk through the square one morning and steal one of the presents.
“What I really want to push home is that it’s all on CCTV. Literally you cannot walk through that square now without being on CCTV.
“It’s not just one incident, it’s lots and it’s just about saying we know who you are and we can talk to you. We can see you.”
Jane Ellis, who with husband Dave owns Ellis Interiors in the square, said just over £2,000 had so far been raised – with the grotto opening tomorrow for the final time – for the family, who will decide how best to use the money, be it to help provide for the girl’s future or to make a donation to the hospice.
She added: “We’ve got CCTV in the square so obviously we can watch it back but sometimes it actually beggars belief that these children come in and they deliberately do it and you think, you may only be 13 or 14 now but you could be only be six, seven or eight years off having children yourself.
“We had one child running from Serenity Footcare to the grotto and jumping at the door with both feet, properly drop-kicking the door, I presume to smash it through, but what they don’t think about is the damage they could do to themselves if they succeed.
“You think, why would they do that?”
