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Bikers sought over Brontë country trail vandalism

Grace Wood
BBC News, Yorkshire
BBC Pink granite stone in the shape of a butterfly with more like it scattered across grassland.BBC
The butterfly sculptures which were targeted by vandals were among those lining the path at Penistone Hill Country Park

Police investigating damage caused by vandals to an art trail in Brontë country have appealed for help finding four suspects.

Two marble butterflies, part of an installation of dozens of similar sculptures at Penistone Hill Country Park, near Haworth, were smashed in the attack, with the damage reported to have happened between 19:45 BST and 20:15 BST on Monday.

Officers said they wanted to trace a group of four people thought to have been in the area on motorbikes or e-bikes at about the time the damage took place.

CCTV inquiries into the vandalism were continuing and Keighley Neighbourhood Policing teams would be carrying out patrols in the area, a West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said.

Scores of the pink-coloured granite butterfly sculptures which lead down a grassy path to a pond.
The stone butterflies of various sizes are part of four art installations on the trail

Shanaz Gulzar, creative director of the Bradford 2025 City of Culture team which was behind the trail, previously described the vandalism as "sad and disappointing".

However, she added that the trail would still open to the public on 24 May as planned.

The butterflies which were damaged were part of the Wild Uplands arts trail– a temporary exhibition due to run until October.

Commissioned by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, the trail features the works of four artists.

The damaged sculptures near a pond had already been repaired, Ms Gulzar said.

The 75 butterflies are the work of Pakistani-born artist Meherunnisa Asad, in collaboration with Peshawar-based atelier Studio Lél, known for reviving centuries-old stone-work techniques.

When the planning application for the trail was considered last year by Bradford Council, there was one objection over concerns it would be targeted by vandals.

However, planners said that was not a valid reason for a refusal of a part of Bradford's City of Culture 2025 celebrations.

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