PAINT was poured into a pond in a public garden in a 'disgusting' act of vandalism.
When volunteers arrived at Knyveton Gardens in Bournemouth on Tuesday, February 11, they discovered white paint had been emptied into the pond.
A spokesperson for Friends of Knyveton & Spencer Gardens said: "It's just devastating; the paint has probably killed the fish that live in the pond.
"It is heartbreaking because we've spent a lot of time and effort improving the gardens and making it a nice place to visit."
The vandal fled, leaving a trail of paint-covered footprints along the path. It is estimated that around 15 litres of water-based paint was thrown into the pond.
The spokesperson added: "Before this incident we had really managed to reduce antisocial behaviour in the area.
"But this is deliberate and premeditated vandalism, they actually took paint into the garden and intending to damage the pond."
The following day, wood was also dumped into the pond.
Dorset Police were called to investigate the incident at the garden off Southcote Road in Bournemouth.
They received a report that overnight between Monday, February 10, and Tuesday, February 11, paint had been thrown over the gardens and into the pond.
Enquiries have been carried out, but no arrests have been made.
Volunteers say CCTV cameras in Southcote Road may have captured the vandal entering or leaving the site, and they hope police can identify the culprit.
BCP Council attended the gardens soon after to 'minimise the damage' and assess whether the pond’s wildlife could be rescued.
Cllr Kieron Wilson, BCP Council cabinet member for housing and regulatory services, said: "I'm deeply saddened by the mindless actions of vandals who have caused significant damage to the sensory gardens and pond at Knyveton Gardens.
"Our parks team estimated around 15 litres of emulsion paint was thrown around the gardens and into the pond. They are continuing to work to dilute areas where the paint is highly concentrated.
"We are working with our antisocial behaviour team to increase monitoring of this area to hopefully deter any future incidents."
