Council gardeners were stunned this week after what was described as the worst act of vandalism in a Chelmsford park.

A third of the summer bedding plants in Bellmead Park, near High Chelmer, were destroyed in the early hours of Tuesday.

Uprooted - These shoppers on Tuesday were shocked by the vandalised flowers that were strewn across the path. Picture: LAURA JOHNSON

Thousands of flower heads were torn off and left strewn across the lawns, and many plants were uprooted

Sue Ireland, the borough council's head of parks, said: "This is the worst act of damage to plants I can remember in our parks. It took our people days of back-breaking work to plant them so that residents and visitors to our town could enjoy them throughout the summer."

Police are studying closed circuit television footage to see if there are any clues as to who carried out the mindless attack.

Published Friday, June 27, 2003

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