Dismay as vandals smash Alice statues

Malice In Wonderland...Council grounds maintainence supervisor, Jimmy Murray pictured with what remains of a carved wooden statue of 'Alice' and a wooden chair in Edenvilla Park which were destroyed by vandals at the weekend. INPT22-204.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council confirmed that sculptures of Alice and the Turtle had been “irreparably damaged”.

And a seat, unveiled recently as a memorial to former council chief executive the late Eric McKinley, was also defaced with graffiti.

The attacks on the Alice carvings took place in mid-May.

A council spokesperson said, “Given the popularity of these beautiful carvings, council is currently looking at whether they can be replaced or if a new style of sculpture made out of steel or a similar material (to help prevent vandalism) can be introduced to the gardens. This will be dependent on budgets and costs.”

She added that the graffiti had been successfully removed from the chair.

One visitor to the park, who contacted the Portadown Times, described the vandalism as “disgraceful”. “Only the remains of the statues’ feet are left,” he said.

A number of the distinctive Alice statues remain - they are the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts chair, The Totem Pole and the Cat on top of the Toilet.

The items were introduced to the park on a phased-in basis by Belfast chainsaw artist Ivan McNally.