Thoughtless vandals responsible for an arson campaign against Billericay's post boxes have been urged to consider the potentially devastating consequences of their actions.

Billericay Police made the plea following two attacks on post boxes in the town, which have left countless letters and packages badly damaged and destroyed.

In the first incident, on Thursday June 17, the box on Bush Hall Parade on Stock Road - opposite Mayflower County High School - was torched at about 1.30pm and although around 100 letters were recovered, many were lost.

Just two days later, the box outside Dillons Newsagents on the High Street was also set alight, although it has proved impossible to calculate just how much has been lost.

Police believe that the perpetrators are probably teenagers shoving fireworks or burning rags into the boxes for fun without being fully aware of the impact that their pranks are having on the lives of hundreds of other people in the town.

Sgt Dave Griffiths from Billericay Police Station said: "It may be that this is just tomfoolery, youngsters generally misbehaving without really appreciating the loss of vital communications they have caused.

"The mail contains all sorts of things that are terribly important to people. It could be notification of an important hospital appointment that will now be missed, a notification of an important meeting, a bill that will not now be paid or an eagerly awaited letter from a friend.

"These people have got to appreciate the seriousness of this matter."

Anybody who has any information about the attacks should contact Billericay Police on 01277 631212.

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