Thoughtless vandals who tore freshly-planted shrubs from the ground have been slammed by Swale council.

As part of a regeneration of the Rec in Faversham, the play areas were spruced up with a selection of young flowers embedded in the ground.

But the hard work of volunteers and staff was quickly undone, with displays destroyed by yobs who left plants strewn across the parks.

Their actions have been branded “shocking” by SBC.

“Plants have been pulled up, vandalised and even stolen,” a spokesman for the authority said.

“This does not appear to be a one-off occurrence, and has happened a number of times in the short space of time they have been in.

"We are hugely disappointed that a thoughtless few are mindlessly vandalising a play area that is designed to make children happy.

“It has been saddening to see the plants being found torn from the ground and scattered around the play area.”

Council contractors who were on site last Friday planting bulbs elsewhere at the Rec have replanted and replaced the shrubs.

“Some would not have survived being replanted and so have been replaced with new plants”, the spokesman added.

“Someone must know who is responsible for this, and if anyone has any information they can contact local police on 101.”

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