Vandals deliberately trashed a Newport couple’s garden causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage, they said this week.
Keen gardeners Eric and Margaret Forlow, of Roe Deer Green, woke up on Sunday morning to find their whole garden had been sprayed with a burning chemical.
Vandals sprayed the lawn, flower beds, hedge and even hanging baskets beside their front door.
The couple’s lawn soon went yellow in colour and by Tuesday the whole lawn had died, including displays of flowers and plants, which the green–fingered pair had worked hard to maintain
The pair have been left baffled by the incident and would like to know why it happened.
Eric said he was so surprised he took a sample of the lawn to get tested.
“I took a sample of the turf to Harper Adams and they’ve said it was sprayed with a chemical - the grass has just gone yellow,” he said.
“It was certainly done deliberately. They have damaged the turf, plants and the hedge.”
Eric’s wife Margaret, who was also left upset by the incident is said she would just like some answers.
She said: “They have really ruined the garden. If we need to re-plant the hedge we would need 30 plants costing about £7 each. We cut the top off the hedge but there’s no guarantee it will survive.
“We had someone who was a crop advisor and he does not think the grass will come back and we have to get it lifted and re-done, it will cost a few hundred.”
She added that the couple enjoy gardening and had put a lot of time and effort into their garden.
“Eric likes his garden and he was sick when he saw it, we just don’t know why they did it.
“Eric is in the Rotary Club, Heart of England in Bloom and he does a lot of good work, no-one has anything against him.
“Obviously it’s a bit upsetting, why have they done it? Nobody else was effected.
“If it was a farmer and their spray was in the air then it would have gone to the other houses but it did not touch our neighbours’ gardens.
“We feel its been done maliciously and I don’t like the idea that someone was going about at night. We have contacted the police.”
Anyone who has information can contact Newport police on 08457 444888 or crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
