A VALE woodland area is the latest site to fall victim to the vandals.

"Mindless morons" removed the gatepost to the entrance of Eoves Wood, opposite Little Orchard caravan park in Hampton, and attacked and damaged about 50 saplings last Thursday, leaving a bill for about £250.

Tyre tracks in the wood, maintained by the Woodland Trust, lead staff to belief that a motorbike or moped was also taken into the area.

Town and district councillor Jim Griffiths, who inspected the site on Tuesday, has blasted the attack as "sickening" and condemned those responsible.

"So many people have worked so hard to establish this woodland for the benefit of the local community," he stormed.

"Now some mindless morons who don't give a damn for anyone else have destroyed what others have cared for.

"I hope the police can catch them and that the courts punish them."

Eoves Wood was created as part of the Woods on Your Doorstep project, a scheme designed to see 200 woodlands created across the country by 2000. The 1,300-tree site became a reality through the donations from across the Vale through 1997 and 1998 and was planted in December 1998.

Anne Jappie, for the Woodland Trust, confirmed that an incident had been reported to Evesham police, and investigations were still being carried out into the extent of the damage and how it was caused.

"Vandalism like this is very sad and unnecessary," she added.

"It just damages an environmental resource which was put there for everyone to enjoy.

"Woods on Your Doorstep was a community-based project and there will be an awful lot of people who will have been upset by this. We suffer from this in the same way that anybody else would who has experienced damage to their personal property."

The trust plans to replant the young trees within the next few weeks.