12:38pm Saturday 28th June 2008
By Emily Walker
A COMMUNITY artwork created by school children has been torched.
Pupils at South Marston Primary School worked with artist Andy Frost to build the Carecrow sculpture at the Great Western Community Forest, at Oxleaze Wood.
But the pupils were devastated this week to hear that their hard work had been vandalised, when it was set alight on Wednesday night.
Head teacher Alison Lowe said: "It is really upsetting.
"They all really enjoyed working on making the Carecrow.
"It was such a great opportunity for them to get involved in creating something for their environment and now it has been destroyed.
"I know they will all be very upset about it.
"The children only recently made a podcast of a walk from the school down to Oxleaze Wood and back again, passing the Carecrow.
"It hasn't even gone onto the Great Western Community Forest website yet and it will have to be re-edited."
Community forest field officer Patrick Norris said: "I think it is quite heartbreaking what has happened for the children more than anything. Everyone at the school put their hearts and souls into the project.
"The whole community, mums, dads and everyone took part to interpret the artist's ideas.
"The sculpture was funded through a budget allocated to the Great Western Forest from the council.
"In total it could be around £20,000 worth of project work up in smoke."
Swindon rural south beat manager PC Tony Miles said: "This fire has been reported as arson.
"It is a wooden sculpture, but it has huge sentimental value, particularly to the children from South Marston school.
"It happened at about 10pm on Wednesday, June 25. It is a completely rural area, although there is a footpath.
"The police are investigating, but there are not likely to be a great deal of witnesses because of the secluded location."
Lucy Keating, 10, a pupil at South Marston Primary School, said: "I'm quite gutted really. I can still smell the smoke; it's all black and crumbly.
"We finished it last July and it took us weeks and weeks to make.
"We had a big school celebration with a cake and a picnic, it was fun.
"We all feel really sad now."
Rhianna Wichall, nine, another South Marston Primary School pupil, said: "I'm really upset.
"We spent a long time drawing pictures of it and making it. It looks horrible now. It looks like coal and you can still see drops of petrol on it."
Anyone with any information about how the Carecrow was destroyed should contact PC Miles on 08454087000 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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