Mean vandals trashed a children's garden and wendy house causing hundreds of pounds in damage.

heartbroken - pupils george Littlechild, Edward Ablett and Eleanor Buxton, all 5, with the broken wendy house and smashed pumpkins

Youngsters at Kirby Primary School were heartbroken when they went into school the day after their garden was commended in a major competition.

All the huge pumpkins they had been growing as part of the project had either been smashed or stolen.

The wendy house had three of its windows broken and inside the toy-kitchen equipment was badly damaged. It is the second time in a year the house has been left unusable.

Headteacher Anne Turner said: "They are really upset by it. They are really disappointed because they worked so hard. They have spent ages growing the pumpkins and when they came back from the holidays they were so impressed with the size of them. Now they are all gone."

Anyone with information should call Clacton police on 01255 221312.

Published Thursday, September 16, 2004

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