‘Brainless morons’ have trashed several books in a library in Stockport. Residents reported seeing the books set on fire on St Lesmo Road, in Edgeley, yesterday evening.
The book box, run by husband and wife team Ed and Jill, has fortunately survived — but the pair are facing reviving the library after being targeted for a second time. Mr Granter told the Manchester Evening News : “A friend of mine let me know he put the burning books at 9pm yesterday. I woke up at 5am this morning, I showed the photo of the books to my wife and she said they were from ours.”
In total, the heartless yobs got a stack of ‘five or six’ books and ripped them apart and set them alight. Despite the small amount of texts damaged, the library is popular, Ed continued. He said: “If you go on [social media group] Everything Edgeley, you can see all the comments on how much they loved it in lockdown. When I am gardening, I see people using it every few minutes.”
READ MORE: Police descend on leafy Stockport suburb after supermarket stabbing
On social media, residents branded the vandals as ‘brainless morons’. Pat Taylor commented: “Oh for goodness sake, can't we have anything that isn't ruined by brainless morons. These books were a lifesaver during the lockdown and afterwards, I use it regularly and will try and take some books there today to get it going again.
“I used to leave books in the park during the lockdowns and the same thing happened to them, all ripped to pieces and flung everywhere so I had to stop, it makes me so angry.”
Lynda Shepley also commented: “That’s awful! I use the book library. It’s a great little swapping library.
There is one saving grace, however, in that the vandals did not damage the box the books are housed in — which was imported especially from Ukraine a few years ago. Ed added: “We are just happy the box has not been hit. That would be a real low. It is quite a nice bit of kit. When the wind blew the door off once, one of the neighbours came and fixed it.
“[Jill] is very composed about it, but she is from Yorkshire so not easily upset. It has happened before, so it’s not a bolt from the blue.”
Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.
