OAP buoyed by offer to fix vandalised bench

PRISONERS will repair a vandalised bench. Les Nicolles prison was one of many organisations and individuals to offer support to widower Bill Worrall after vandals targeted his wife's memorial at L'Ancresse. 'I'm overwhelmed by the response to your article - it's incredible,' he said yesterday. 'I never dreamt of the response I have had. Your paper did a wonderful job.' After a coastal walk on Tuesday, he returned to Rosewood Guest House early in the evening to find that it had been inundated with calls of help. 'There was a list as long as my arm of people wanting to make contributions and others wanting to buy a new bench,' said Mr Worrall. He has decided to take up the prison's offer to repair it. 'The lads inside may have been bad, but it's rather nice and they are looking to put it back to normal by the time I leave next week,' he said. 'I think it's repairable, given the right expertise and machinery. It's something good coming out of something bad. 'I'm sure the lads in there understand how I feel. It's two years in October since my wife died and just two weeks before my birthday.' He would like the bench to go back to its position at L'Ancresse - his wife's favourite spot - and hoped that it would not get vandalised again. 'People have told me it's worth giving it a second chance in the hope that they won't do it again,' said Mr Worrall. 'It will all come to a good end. I'm more than pleased - I'm delighted and very grateful to the people of Guernsey. This is why we came to the island so often. 'The people are very nice and we never met anybody we did not like over 32 years. 'I want to thank all the people of Guernsey for their generosity, which has really buoyed me. 'It makes you realise there are a lot of good, decent people in the world - unfortunately, it's often just the bad ones who get remembered. 'I hope people who rang up are not upset that I did not phone them back. 'I'm more than grateful and it's cheered me up no end.'