Welcome to Athlone display vandalised

Five trees were broken in the latest act of vandalism to hit Athlone.
The trees, part of the much commented and eye-catching ‘Welcome to Athlone’ display by Athlone Tidy Towns just off the Ballymahon road roundabout, are thought to have been damaged on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ condemned the vandalism as “absolutely disgusting” at a time when the Athlone Tidy Towns and Athlone Town Council have worked so hard to have the area looking well for Tidy Towns judging and during peak tourism season.
He continued that some people get “fun out of vandalism” and ruining the hard work of others, something which completely disgusts him. The ‘Welcome to Athlone’ display has proved a positive entrance for people coming into the area, only for these people to come along and pull the trees out from the roots and ruin the appearance of the project.