Community group despair at repeated vandalism at memorial garden

Since Pete Shelley's death in 2018, a group of fans launched The Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign to keep the former Buzzcocks singers' legacy alive.

The volunteers have worked hard to secure a blue plaque outside Shelley's former home in Landside, hosted live music events, and commissioned the huge mural that overlooks Leigh Town Hall and the Turnpike Gallery.

​READ >  Coach 'very proud' to win national award after bringing disability team to Leigh

The garden has been repeatedly vandalised since it was installed (Image: Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign)
Working in partnership with Wigan Council, the group also unveiled a memorial garden at Civic Square in April, including a bench filled with Pete Shelley lyrics, memorial plaques, planters, and an impressive assortment of flowers.

The garden is intended to be a reflective space for people to remember Pete Shelley, campaign supporter Paddy Mitchell who passed away last year, or any other lost loved ones, but the site has been repeatedly vandalised since it was installed.

The garden looks to have been kicked and ripped out, with items of clothing also thrown (Image: Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign)
Lynne Balmer speaking on behalf of the Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign, said: ""We have created this space, somewhere to sit and to reflect on life, somewhere to remember Pete Shelley, Paddy Mitchell, or your own loved ones.

"You can sit on the memorial bench in front of the flowers and the bench looks out towards the large mural of Pete Shelley.

"This work was done for the community of Leigh, yet for the fourth time since April we have received a telephone call to inform us that the gardens have again been vandalised.

"I have been to the memorial garden and attempted to fix the damage, large holes had been dug into the soil and some plants had been ripped out and squashed, large amounts of litter, clothing, and shoes had also been thrown into the garden."

"I believe it is for us as the community of Leigh to help make our town a better place, and make it somewhere where we are proud to live."

Campaign members, Paul Banks, Lynne Balmer, and Paul Lally (Image: Pete Shelley Memorial Campaign)
Lynne asked for people to keep a close eye on the memorial garden and report any vandalism to the police and council.