A disabled veteran from Gloucester has been overwhelmed by the response from people in his community after his fence and bins were destroyed in an arson attack. Michael Howie, who was discharged from the military on medical grounds in 2013 after more than 15 years’ service, now has a new fence, and the council has delivered new bins free of charge.
Fence and bins destroyed
Mr Howie woke to find his garden fence and his plastic recycling bins had been destroyed. He and his son cleaned up the mess. They reported it to the police and to highway services, because the melted plastic had fused with the tarmac.
He is a single father of three. He said that paying for a new fence would have put a strain on Christmas, and the council was also charging £50 to replace the bins.
A local builder steps in
Mr Howie asked his local councillor for help and posted an appeal on Facebook asking local firms to help. Daniel Hughes, from Above and Beyond property care, had seen a similar request on a noticeboard in Gloucester and got in touch. He said he wanted to help a veteran in need, and his grandfather had served in the army.
Mr Hughes and his team stripped out the old fence and installed a new one, painting it to match the rest of the panels. The work was done free of charge. Mr Howie said it had lifted a big weight off his shoulders.
Police appeal
Gloucestershire Police has closed its investigation into the arson because there was no CCTV, no witnesses and no suspects were identified. If you have any information about the attack, the force asks you to pass it on so that officers can review it.
