CALLOUS vandals have wrecked a large area of newly planted shrubbery in Abbey Park, Evesham, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Tiny bedding plants and shrubs were found ripped out of the soil on Tuesday morning.

They had been strewn around on the ground and also thrown into the nearby paddling pool, which was already littered with plastic bottles.

Residents living nearby raised the alarm and contacted parks officer Lynn Stevens who originally planned the design for the area.

"The neighbours said they'd heard some noise after dark but couldn't see anyone. When they saw the devastation the next morning, they contacted me," she said.

"We were only upgraded to a Green Flag park by the Civic Trust last year for the first time. The new plants form part of the plan to gain the award again and when people do things like this it just jeopardises our chances.

"We have to apply for the Green Flag award every year and only parks which are well maintained and considered a nice place for local people and visitors to come to get the award. We are proud of our park and our contractors are working hard to get it looking as it did before."

Shane Smout, of Fountain Support Services contracted by Wychavon District Council, was at the park on Tuesday with supervisor Dave Curtis to get the plants and general area back in to usual order.

"It's annoying", he said. "We do all this hard work and make it look attractive for all the visitors in the first place and then end up having to re-do it all because of some selfish people who don't care about anyone else. It can't be down to boredom because there's a skate park so it's not as if there's nothing else for them to do."

Lynn added: "There is CCTV monitoring the area which will be checked this week but we don't know whether we'll see anything. We also found a coat on the wall but there doesn't seem to be any evidence in that."

On the same evening, a black signpost, which directs visitors to facilities in the park was also pulled down in Corporation Meadow.

Anyone who may have information should contact Evesham police on 08457 444888.