Vandals have completely destroyed the garden society Het Westen in Wormerveer. Storage cupboards have been broken open and damaged, plants have been pulled from the garden and the greenhouses have also been damaged. In addition, the tools and a cash box were stolen. The fear is good for the tenants and drivers.
At first Fred de Kraker, board member of the association, didn’t notice. “I’m here every morning at about a quarter past eight, usually with a few others. Then suddenly yesterday morning we saw that there was a broken window on the side of the clubhouse. And then we saw that it had been broken into.”
In shock
The gardeners are very frightened, says Fred. “It’s all quite emotional. There’s a man here who is I think over 80 who is always here all day. He already went home after 15 minutes because he couldn’t watch it.”
Today the old man has returned to his garden, but he cannot and does not want to talk about the destruction. “The man had a lot of damage to both his plants and his greenhouse. He repaired it immediately. That is his way of dealing with his grief.”
Cemetery
The vandals probably entered the garden complex in the evening or at night via the adjacent cemetery. “It is almost impossible to get here through the entrance gate, the cemetery is not really closed off,” says Fred.
Fred will not be able to file a report at the police station until next week. “We are afraid that they will come back. I hope not. It has happened once, but that was many years ago.”