'Truly awful' - Readers react to attack on Edinburgh poppy garden

Readers have reacted with anger and disgust after it emerged that vandals damaged poppy wreaths and wooden crosses in Edinburgh's garden of remebrance.
A remembrance garden in Edinburgh has been damaged. Picture: PoppyScotland/PA WireA remembrance garden in Edinburgh has been damaged. Picture: PoppyScotland/PA Wire
A remembrance garden in Edinburgh has been damaged. Picture: PoppyScotland/PA Wire

Poppyscotland volunteers discovered crosses uprooted, the wreaths scattered and a wooden sign knocked over when they arrived at the garden, next to the Scott Monument in Princes Street Gardens, on Saturday morning.

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Edinburgh's Garden of Remembrance trashed by '˜reckless' vandals

Police are now investigating and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

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And Edinburgh Evening News readers have been reacting to the incident online in huge numbers.

One Facebook reader, Stewart Cowley, wrote: "This is one of the sickest things I’ve seen for a long time. To deliberately destroy a garden of remembrance for ALL the personnel and civilians that gave up or lost their lives in conflict zones is a pure disgrace. I feel ashamed to say that I live in Edinburgh."

Iria Forgie wrote: "That is truly awful. I attended the memorial service. It was moving to say the least and for the outcome of something so poignant to end in this state is a true disgrace...Name and shame em! They will have to live with their ignorant acts for a lifetime.

Steven Oliver said: "When you have thugs desecrating a Garden of Remembrance, just a week before the centenary of the Armistice, then you know that things have well and truly gone to pot.

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"Today's generation have no concept of respect. It's also not helped by a soft-touch society where, if you commit a crime, you get little more than a slap on the wrist."

James Ross wrote: "Find them and sign them up for the army as punishment. It might give them the respect they should have."

However, some readers also suggested that the damage could have been caused by the high winds.

One reader, Lisaa Simpson, is among those urging caution and the need to check CCTV. She said: "Proof is needed before vigilantes/keyboard warriors come out. If it is vandalism then they need to be punished."

Some readers agreed with this view, while others stressed that the small crosses - which are stuck in the ground - must have been uprooted and that this points to vandalism.