Just some of the vandalism in Fawley village

Was it a tornado that hit Fawley village at the weekend? Judging by the pockets of destruction you might have thought that a twister had touched down in several places throughout the village.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t nature that hit Fawley– it was nurture, (or lack of it)! Somebody’s son or daughter missed out on the basic premise of respect for community being instilled in them. Please note, that age has no bearing, for the person or persons doing the damage could be young or old, but certainly without thought as to the consequences of their actions.

The point is – Time and Money is being wasted as a result. It is your money, in the form of taxes, and staff time, which could be spent on more important things.

Fawley Infant School fencing damage by mindless vandalism

Further down School Lane , we come upon the second piece of evidence: The Fawley Infant School fence, where our children go, or our grandchildren, or indeed, where we ourselves went.

Can you remember lessons at the school about having respect for other people’s property and for being a good citizen? A pity that this lesson is in need of relearning by a small minority!

Head Teacher, Tina Daniel said,” At Fawley Infant School we have received great support from our community in preventing vandalism and appreciate the efforts of all our neighbours and other members of the public for keeping an eye on the school site.

Unfortunately, however the fence at the front of the school building has been seriously damaged and needs replacing. 

We are liable to cover the first £250 of the cost of this damage which comes out of the schools own budget therefore taking money away which could be used to benefit all our children’s education”.

Damage to fencing

Part of the perimeter fence surrounding the Fawley Refinery was also a target for vandalism, as seen in the picture. A Fawley spokesperson said: "Kicking down the fence is an act of mindless vandalism. However, our main concern is the overall impact this spate of incidents is having on the community as a whole."

Fawley Parish Councillor, Cllr Mrs Coles, who was elected to the Fawley Ward, recently, wants those responsible to reflect on how they would feel, “When they become home owners and have children at the local school, a gleaming car sat out on the drive, when out of the blue, comes a vandal, damaging their property, or that of their child’s school?

Would they think it a laugh? By putting themselves in the shoes of their victims, they might just come to the conclusion – “Probably not”.

Then again, they probably wouldn’t.

In the meantime, we carry on with our lives, pick ourselves up after the damage has been done; assess how to pay for it, and shrug our shoulders as we all know that nothing can be done.

Let’s think that through for a minute.

Why do people lack respect, for themselves, their families and society in general?

Is it in our nature for us all to turn a blind eye when it doesn’t affect us personally?

We as a community could stop the rot now, by notifying the police who it is that’s hell bent on the path of destruction. Don’t keep quiet in the hope that it will all die down. The police need to be informed, so that their crime figures can reflect the true picture of crime in Fawley.

In doing so, there is more chance of alerting the authorities for the need to increase their resources.

Then, and only then, will we rarely experience a Tornado of nature in Fawley, but more importantly, never experience a Tornado of Nuture. ”