5:30am Friday 4th August 2006
By Clare Kennedy
VANDALS have ripped down a row of hanging baskets that residents had put up to brighten up their Southampton estate.
They pulled the containers brimming with pansies, petunias, ivy and geraniums off the brackets attached to pillars in the Northam estate's shopping precinct.
Dozens of residents had called for the introduction of the colourful hanging baskets after a survey organised by the Northam Residents' Association.
Thanks to £600 from the St Mary's Stadium community grant they were able to make their dream a reality.
However, now residents are left with having to raise money to replant five of the baskets that lined the estate's row of shops.
Dawn Humphries, secretary of the Northam Estate Residents' Association, said: "I hope the vandalism is a temporary blip because the baskets have been fine up until now.
"It's a bit disheartening to see this when you are trying to do your best to improve the estate.
"These vandals have destroyed an area that had become a nice place to sit."
About 30 baskets were put up at the beginning of the summer on the estate off Northam Road.
Traders working in the nearby Crop Shop hairdressing salon and Eddie's Fish & Chip Store welcomed the horticultural makeover and Binnie's off-licence contributed £60 to the project.
Dawn's daughter, 27, a restaurant worker, said: "We want to make the estate somewhere that people will want to stay or move to.
"During the past few weeks tenants have been watering the flowers and they have been thriving and flourishing. The feedback from people has been really good."
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