Locals have expressed their disgust after a sculpture in a Beeston park was found to be vandalised. The Green Man, carved by Stan Bullard, has been a feature in Dovecote Lane Recreation Ground for more than a decade.
It was found torn from its concrete plinth, lying on the grass nearby but has since been removed. Some residents are blaming travellers who set up there for more than a week before their eviction on Monday. However, there is no evidence or witnesses to say who did it. The wooden statue was made in 2008, a commission from Broxtowe Borough Council to mark the 100th anniversary of the park.
It was carved from a piece of yew tree by Mr Bullard, a retired school teacher who continued to be an artist until he was 83. He died in 2012. Residents, who also complained of human excrement and broken glass left around the park which is popular with dog walkers and children, said it was senseless vandalism.
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Susan Davis, 62, of Beeston, said: "It was something special. Everybody thinks that it was them. It's a real shame. Why? Hopefully if it's still there it can be put back.
"There were eight bailiffs to move them on. I'm thankful they've gone. They've had to sanitise the park. They cleaned this up the best they could but there's broken glass down still. Loads of dog walkers come on here. There's still some keeping away.
Muriel Rigby, 79, of Beeston said: "It's awful because it's been there for so many years and then someone comes in and does that. A lot of people used to come and have a look at it."
Many more took to Beeston Updated Facebook page to express their fury. One man said: "Real pity this has gone. Stan was a real character, he was a teacher at Fairham School. He used to carve totem poles out of telegraph poles."
A spokeswoman for Broxtowe Borough Council said: "We are aware about the Green Man at Dovecote Lane Recreation Ground, and we are currently looking in to options to replace this." She didn't say whether the council had recovered the sculpture and whether the incident had been reported to police."
The statue was at the west end of the park, the opposite end to the children's playground. The statue wasn't the natural colour it was when first carved but a vivid green. A year after Mr Bullard died council workers accidentally stained it instead of treating it with a wood feeder.
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