VANDALS who stole scarecrows and nailed them against a wall days before they were due to be judged at a village show will not spoil the upcoming event, organisers have said.

More than 40 of the mannequins have been displayed all over the Copford ahead of the village's scarecrow festival on Sunday, but troublemakers have attempted to ruin the occasion by stealing and damaging ten of the figures.

Scarecrows depicting Marge and Homer Simpson, Wallace and Gromit, and a speed watch officer were also nailed against construction hoardings near B&M.

Returned – a Peppa Pig scarecrow has been put back together and returnedReturned – a Peppa Pig scarecrow has been put back together and returned (Image: David Brady)

Other scarecrows, including one assembled by a five-year-old depicting Peppa Pig, were damaged and another was thrown onto the roof of an electricity substation.

The spate of incidents has brought a defiant reaction from villagers though, with four people entering scarecrows for Sunday’s competition in the response to the thefts.

David Brady, 53, who has volunteered at the fair for 13 years, said the incident was planned.

He said: “On Sunday night it seemed properly pre-meditated – they came with screw guns in a vehicle and took a scarecrow.

“They have ripped them apart and damaged them and left them an absolute mess.”

He continued: “It’s all pranks and laughs when you are a teenager – that’s fine to a certain extent.

“To do it three times and damage them knowing children have made them, then it becomes a bit thick.

“We get idiots with less brains than a scarecrow that went do to that.”

Wife Sara Brady, 54, who is on the organising committee for the festival, was full of praise for how the community reacted.

She said: “The response here has been brilliant and they have all been found and repaired.

“People have thought ‘we are not going to let people spoil it’.”

Joke – Sara Brady quipped Wallace and Gromit had quite literally had a grand day out, in reference to the name of the first Wallace and Gromit filmJoke – Sara Brady quipped Wallace and Gromit had quite literally had a grand day out, in reference to the name of the first Wallace and Gromit film (Image: Sara Brady)

She joked: “The Wallace and Gromit scarecrows literally had a grand day out.”

A spokesman for Essex Police confirmed they received reports of the damage.

He said: “We have received an allegation of criminal damage to several scarecrows that were part of a display at Copford, Colchester.

“It was reported that they had been moved from their original location overnight on Sunday August 25 and found damaged in the Stanway area.”