‘Devastated’ volunteers clear up vandals’ mess in Sidmouth

Vandals threw a bench, a sign, large logs and a red bike into the River Sid over the weekend.

Sid Vale Association (SVA) volunteers were left with the task of cleaning up some of the area and retrieving the items from the water in The Byes.

As well as this, a man was also arrested at about 4am on Sunday for alledgedly attempting to break into the group’s shed off Livonia Road, causing £100 in damage, although he was released without charge.

One of the SVA’s volunteers, who wished to remain anonymous, said she turned up to do her usual work on Monday to find, instead of cutting back brambles or undertaking other tasks to help make the area look nice, she and a group of others were tasked with cleaning up the weekend’s mess.

She added they had to wade into the river to retrieve a heavy wooden sign that had been wrenched and broken off its base and thrown into the water along with a number of logs, which had to be pulled out using ropes.

“When we first saw what had happened, we were devastated. You spend all this time and effort doing your best to make the place look beautiful and then mindless individuals come and wreck everything.”

Anyone with any information about what happened should call police on 101.