NURSERY VANDALS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22725, 11 May 1937, Page 10

NURSERY VANDALS

DAMAGE AT BEMUEKA POTS AND PLANTS SMASHED THREE GLASSHOUSES ENTERED BOYS' FOOTPRINTS FOUND A scene of destruction awaited the nurseryman at Hay's Nurseries in Shore Road, Remuera, when he arrived at the premises about eight o'clock yesterday morning. Every one of the three glasshouses now in use had been entered, pots had been thrown from the benches to the ground and broken, trays of young plants ready for delivery had been tipped out, and between 50 and 60 large palms in pots housed in the fernery had been broken. The premises were last visited by the nurseryman on Saturday morning, when everything was in order. When he arrived yesterday morning, however, he found the doors of the office and glasshouses open. Jn one house a largo number of pots and plants had been thrown on the ground and broken, while in another the glass door had been broken and about 150 trays of plants and seeds had been lifted from the benches and thrown on to the floor, their contents being tipped out. Some of the trays had been forced through slots in the walls of the houses to the ground outside, cracking the glass.

The office was entered and thoroughly ransacked, but as far as is known nothing was removed. From footprints tif sandshoes and naked feet left on some of the benches it is thought that the vandalism is the work of young boys. The principal of the firm, Mr. A. Thomas, said last night that it was very difficult to estimate the damage, but it was considerably in excess of £SO.