Smashing pumpkins: vandals destroy child's Halloween lantern

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Pumpkin pranksters have left a little girl “really disappointed” when a jack-o’-lantern she spent an hour carving with her dad was smashed by Halloween vandals.

Orla Brady, who is just eight years old, had her Halloween spirit dampened when she found the first pumpkin she’d carved without a stencil had been smashed across her road.

Orla’s mum Fiona told Express that the family put a candle in the pumpkin and put it outside early for their neighbours to see, but in the morning the family found the lantern had been destroyed.

Pictured: The remains of Orla's prized pumpkin that she had spent a long time carving in preparation for Halloween. (Fiona Brady)

Fiona said her daughter was “devastated” and “very upset” when she’d seen what had happened. She couldn’t understand why anyone would want to destroy something that "was obviously done by a child."

"Why would somebody do that?” she asked.

Fiona posted on a local Facebook group explaining what had happened because her daughter was so upset.

Pictured: Orla said she was "really disappointed" when she saw what had happened to her lantern.

In her post, Fiona wrote: "Thank you to the people/person who took pleasure in smashing an 8 year old's pumpkin last night.

She put it out early as had spent ages carving it herself and was proud of it! Children in Beaumont don’t put them out early!" 

Users on social media have rallied in support of the family with many people offering to buy Orla a replacement pumpkin to carve.

Pictured: A much happier Orla with a pumpkin brought round by the Brady family's neighbour Karen and her son Tyler. (Fiona Brady)

Fiona said: “Everyone’s been so sweet… It just shows that apart from one or two nasty people there is lots of kindness and a real community spirit.”

Orla told Express that when she saw her pumpkin smashed that she “felt really disappointed”, but that she wasn’t letting the pranksters ruin her Halloween.

She said that she’s doing a drama club this half term and that she is dressing up as a zombie. Orla is hoping her costume will be “really scary” - so scary that it will frighten the pumpkin smashers away!