Decorations trashed just hours after Pontefract liquorice festival ends
![Firefighters were called to the scene to reports that a planter was on fire](https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_109582243.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Firefighters were called to the scene to reports that a planter was on fire](/img/placeholder.png)
Just hours after the festival finished, firefighters were called to the Valley Gardens to reports that a planter was on fire. A bench had also been damaged.
The vandals also destroyed displays in the centre and decorations were stolen and damaged on Southgate.
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Hide Ad![Decorations before the incident](https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_109582951.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Decorations before the incident](/img/placeholder.png)
Colin White, chairman of Pontefract in Bloom, who organises the floral displays and planters in town, said: “I’d gone to the Valley Gardens with my Grandchildren and I couldn’t believe it.
"They’d damaged a bench and annihilated a planter.
“It’s compulsive arson. The Valley Gardens seems to be the target.
“They are trivial, stupid acts but this could lead to someone losing their life.”
![Vandals trashed decorations especially created for Pontefracts Liquorice festival](https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_109582952.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Vandals trashed decorations especially created for Pontefracts Liquorice festival](/img/placeholder.png)
Up to 25,000 people attended the festival this year
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Hide AdPhil Cook, Vice Chair of the Pontefract Civic Society said: “The people of Pontefract came together to make the decorations for the town.
“The businesses and organisations make Pontefract a better place to live. The vandals won’t put us off.”
Paul Cartwright, chair of the Civic Society said : “Things like this do unfortunately happen. On the evenings in particular.
"It disrupts all the volunteers hard work. I really hope the culprits can be caught.”
The incidents have been reported to the police.