WHILE the new flower planters in Enniskillen may have divided local opinion, there has been universal condemnation of the vandals who recently ripped flowers out of them.
Tourist fingerpost signs have also been damaged by nighttime vandals in recent weeks, with the information signs pulled out of place, bent, and even torn down at times.
Cllr Garbhan McPhillips, pictured below, who shared photos of the destruction of the flower planters online, said a number of locals had contacted him about the vandalism.
“These flower boxes on the Diamond in Enniskillen have been the topic of a lot of conversations very recently,” he said.
“Yes, they are not to a lot of peoples liking, and that is perfectly acceptable, everyone is more than entitled to their opinion. On the other hand, this type of vandalism is not acceptable at all.
“Just because someone doesn’t like these does not give them the right to pull up these flowers and leave them for dead.”
When contacted, the Council appealed to those responsible to realise the impact of their actions.
“The Council was disappointed at the recent vandalism of the flowers in the new planters and the tourist fingerpost signs in Enniskillen,” said a spokeswoman.
“The Council condemns all incidents of vandalism to Council property and in all cases will work with the PSNI to identify those responsible.”
They added, “The Council works to ensure that the District is welcoming and clean for residents and visitors and incidents such as this divert valuable Council resources which could be utilised to benefit the wider community.
“The Council would appeal to those who are carrying out the acts of vandalism, which is a persistent drain on public resources, to stop immediately and consider the impact this is having on their local community. The Council would also ask anyone who witnesses acts of vandalism on Council property to report it to the PSNI.”
Meanwhile, the Council has said it has not moved any flower planters from Enniskillen to Omagh, following local reports a planter close to the town library had been relocated to the Tyrone county town. The Council did note the roundabout in front of the library was looked after by the Department of Infrastructure.
“The Council’s Horticulture teams undertake an annual programme of planting throughout the district and we were delighted that Enniskillen was again recognised as the ‘Best Kept Large Town’ in the 2023 All-Ireland Best Kept Awards – for the fifth time in the last ten years,” the spokeswoman added.
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