POLICE are searching for vandals who burned and destroyed an outdoor display of artworks and sculpture on Watchet’s iconic clifftop Pleasure Grounds in a Sunday night attack thought to have possibly been planned and premeditated.

 Furious residents immediately organised a fund to provide a reward for information which might lead to the culprits and launched an appeal to provide CCTV on the site, which had been taken over and restored by Watchet Conservation Society. 

 Three wooden carvings and an elaborate interpretation board on artist JMW Turner were wrenched from their fastenings and burned in what the society’s Nick Cotton described as “an act of callous and unbelievable vandalism.”

 He added: “We believe this was no spur-of-the moment vandalism. Tools would have been needed to take the sculptures from their mountings. One carving, which was six feet long, had been fixed with reinforced fastenings and all the others were embedded in concrete.”

 Watchet Conservation Society took over the near derelict cliff top site about five years ago and ever since has been restoring it and adding features of interest. Land-owner John Richards, who charges   the society a peppercorn rent, said this week that he would welcome CCTV on the site.

 The carved and painted sculptures, admired by residents and visitors, were the work of local craftsman John Thwaites, chairman of the community organisation Men in Sheds, Taunton, and the Turner interpretation board was donated by members of the community.

 Mr Thwaites said: “I am devastated that this has happened. It took me a year and a half to carve the sculptures to bring a smile to the faces of the people of Watchet. It also enabled me to follow the ideology of the shed organisation which is to tackle loneliness and depression.

 He added that his carvings, which included images of Watchet wildlife and its lighthouse, were an attempt to honour the town’s sculpture and artwork.

 “I am grateful for the messages of support and sympathy. It’s an appalling mindless act, destroying some of the pleasure people find in Watchet.”

 Mr Cotton added that the site would be repaired and would hopefully be protected in the future by CCTV. “We would like to thank everyone who has offered help and sympathy after hearing of the terrible destruction.

 “I can’t pretend I wasn’t tempted to give up but younger and more optimistic minds than mine and ensured that this site is far too important to be lost to Watchet.”

 “Volunteers were in tears yesterday. It has been a great help to receive so much support, love, affection and offers of help from our wonderful community.”

 This week social media was deluged with posts condemning the vandalism and offering money and support in the hunt for the vandals

 Paul Christopher said: “Time for some CCTV, to make sure these thick kids (and their thick parents) pay for their actions.”

 Town councillor Loretta Whetlor added: “The saddest sight at the Pleasure Grounds this morning,  -the hand-carved and painted bug hotel, the beautifully carved local wildlife board, another hand painted board and the Turner illustrated board all destroyed and burned .

 “The fencing around one of the apple trees has been cut open to get a board out and a wildlife stone path dug up and destroyed.”

 Dawn Evans said: “So sad and unnecessary. CCTV would be a good deterrent as this is clearly a target for some very strange reason.”

 Jane Sharp added: “What is wrong with people? A lot of time and money has been spent making the Pleasure Grounds a nice place to visit” and Sandra Armstrong remarked: “This is despicable. Why do people have to destroy other people’s property? Someone must know something.”

 By Thursday the reward fund had reached more than £200 and Watchet resident Ms Sam Westmacott agreed to donate the cost of a new information board.

 Asked whether he planned to make any replacement carvings, Mr Thwaites said: “Clearly I’m still upset, and having used all the wood that I collected while volunteering at Minehead community woodlands I can’t see a way forward.”

 He added that should anyone have a spare piece of ash measuring around six feet by four feet and three-quarters of an inch thick, there was just a chance he might change his mind.

 Anyone considering supplying suitable wood should contact 01984 631814.

 An Avon and Somerset police spokesman told the Free Press: “We have been made aware that a number of wooden structures were damaged at the Splash Point Pleasure Grounds between Sunday 30 April and Monday 1 May.

 “Neighbourhood officers have visited the area to conduct enquiries, including reviewing any CCTV coverage of the area. Further proactive police patrols in the area are planned.

 “We would ask anyone who has information about the criminal damage to contact us online or on 101, quoting reference number 5223102719.”