Family’s distress over memorial bench damage

A family say they are deeply upset after discovering their son’s memorial bench in Bowerhill had been vandalised.

The bench, located in Giles Wood, is dedicated to Ben Smith, a teenager who was killed nearly four years ago after being assaulted on a night out in Bath.

The family say the bench is the equivalent of a grave for Ben, a place where they can go to remember him.

However, they report it has recently been damaged, with the wood kicked in and panels removed.

Ben’s mum Rachel Smith said, “My husband goes down there every day to sit there; Ben’s friends go down there. I would like to know, did the vandals feel good? It’s upset a lot of people. I was angry first off, now I just want to know if that made them feel good wrecking someone’s memorial bench.”

The bench is engraved with a special message from Ben’s family and Rachel said it was ‘lucky’ the engraving had not been damaged. She added, “I had one of his friends ring up crying. We don’t have a grave because I have the majority of his ashes, but we kept some down there by his bench.”

To give back to the charities that supported Ben when he died, the family run an annual fundraising football match at Melksham Town Football Club.

Rachel said, “We do this every year to bring the community together and give to charity, then something like this happens. I just don’t understand why anyone would do it.

“A lot of people knew Ben, he was well liked. He played for Melksham Town. We went to a restaurant the other day and in their advert and on their menus they are sat on Ben’s bench. People go down there to remember people. I can’t see that wrecking somebody’s memorial would make anyone feel good.”

Ben was a carpenter and his former boss is helping the family repair the bench so it can be reinstalled.

Pictured: l-r standing: Harry Kepner, Alan Pardoe, Kayleigh Pardoe, Josh Flynn and George Truman; sitting on the bench: Ben’s parents – Rachel and Arthur Smith