A YORK Second World War veteran, plagued by vandals constantly attacking his allotment, is so distressed he may never return to his lifelong hobby.

But another green-fingered pensioner is vowing he won't be beaten by the yobs attacking his plot.

Tenants of Scarcroft Road allotments say they have been beset by thieves and hooligans in recent years.

Their plight was highlighted in the Evening Press two years ago when sheds were broken into and set on fire, greenhouses smashed, plants damaged and produce stolen.

But in the most recent attack at the weekend eight sheds were broken into, locks destroyed and four greenhouses completely smashed up.

Frank Newton, 82, of Thorpe Street, who has worked his plot for nearly 40 years, said he was now too distraught to even return to his allotment to carry out the costly repairs.

Six panes of glass were smashed in his greenhouse on Friday night, but then the hooligans returned again on Sunday and put three tiles and slates through the rest of the windows.

An earlier attack in 1995 left the former soldier with a £200 repair bill. And with the latest damage likely to cost about £80 to repair, he said his feeling now was "enough is enough".

"I cannot bear to look at it," said Mr Newton." It's very dispiriting. It's on my mind to give up because it is all so pointless. They are just doing it for the sheer love of it."

Pensioner Douglas Barnes, 77, of Anne Street, said little was actually stolen in the raids, but that made it all the more pointless.

He now faces forking out £15 from his pension to repair a smashed lock on his shed door and to replace some wire fencing that had been cut."The situation seems to be getting worse," said Mr Barnes, who has been tending his allotment for 16 years. "I come down here every day at this time of the year and there seems to be about three or four incidents a week.

"Some weeks it is more than others, but I will carry on until the next time.."

A spokesman for City of York Council said it has a roving security patrol covering the council's 1,000 allotments at nearly 20 sites.

He said in the light of the recent attacks in Scarcroft Road, the patrols would be making more visits to the allotments there in a bid to deter vandals.

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