Two men tried to burn plants and pulled up a tree at the garden by Reading Civic Centre on 28 September, a day after volunteers built it. CCTV is with police.
A new community garden beside Reading Civic Centre was vandalised in the early hours of Monday 28 September, just over a day after volunteers finished its first phase. Two men tried to burn the new plants, damaged plant pots and pulled a young tree out of the ground. One of them also urinated in the garden.
That account comes from Reading Borough Council’s statement, issued on 30 September. The council says the incident was fully captured on its CCTV. All the footage has been passed to Thames Valley Police to investigate.
What the volunteers had built
The garden sits on a spare plot next to the Civic Centre in the town centre. Council staff built it in their own time over four days last week, using pitchforks, spades and trowels, the council said.
The first phase included:
- a series of raised beds
- pathways
- planting, including the young tree that was pulled up
The project is paid for by a £13,000 grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. The council says the money covers raised beds, seating, paths and plants.
What it is meant to become
The plan is a green space in the town centre for council staff and the public. The council’s statement sets out the longer-term ideas:
- growing fresh produce
- pop-up events with community partners
- possibly an outdoor kitchen, once the garden is established
- links with the council’s nursery and with local businesses for “farm-to-fork” cooking sessions
The garden was the idea of Catherine Lewis, Rebecca Moon and Stephen Vigar, from the council’s Public Protection and Planning department.
“The vandalism is hugely disappointing for everyone, particularly for colleagues who gave up their own time to start work on the project over the last few days,” Catherine Lewis said in the statement.
Council leader Liz Terry said: “It’s beyond belief that 24 hours after this community garden was created, mindless vandals should look to damage it.” She urged anyone with information to report it to Thames Valley Police. She added that she was looking forward to seeing the garden “develop further over the weeks and months to come”.
How common is criminal damage around the Civic Centre?
Police.uk’s street-level data gives some context. Thames Valley Police recorded 72 criminal damage and arson offences within about 300 metres of the Civic Offices on Bridge Street between September 2025 and August 2026. That is roughly six a month, with the highest months in September 2025 and August 2026, at 11 each.
Of those 72, 33 were closed with no suspect identified, the most common outcome in the data.
The September 2026 figures, which would include Monday’s incident, are not yet published. Police.uk releases each month’s data roughly six weeks after it ends.
What it means for you
- If you saw anything near the Civic Centre in the early hours of Monday 28 September, the council asks you to tell Thames Valley Police. Call 101 or report online. To stay anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
- The garden is still going ahead. The council leader said she expects it to keep developing over the coming weeks and months.
- If you want to get involved, the council says the garden is meant for local residents and community groups as well as staff. It has not yet published how the public can volunteer. We will add that here when it does.
For other town centre matters, see our guides to parking in Reading and planning applications in Reading.
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