A WINNINGTON widow has voiced her anger after a park bench devoted to her late husband was torched for the second time.

Beryl Stanway’s husband John David died in 2017, and a bench was installed in his honour in Verdin Park.

But she was shocked and upset to find that it had been set alight by vandals in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Northwich Guardian:

“My husband always used to visit the park and he used to sit by the statue of Robert Verdin with the dogs,” said Beryl.

“I bought the bench and had it installed in the park with his name on it, but now it has been set on fire and the pillar behind it has been smashed to pieces.

“This is not the first time that it has happened as it was set on fire last year.

“Why do they do it?”

The previous bench was replaced by Northwich Town Council, and they will again look to replace it, but it will be relocated to somewhere where it is less likely to be targeted.

Northwich Guardian:

“People used to set fire to other benches in the park, but now they have started setting fire to memorial ones with plaques on,” Beryl added.

“I’m really angry and upset at the moment as it has not yet sunk in properly.

“There needs to be cameras in the park to catch those who did it and stop this from happening again.”

Firefighters from Northwich Fire Station were called out to the incident shortly after midnight on Thursday morning.

On arrival, they found the bench well alight and used water to extinguish the flames.