A boy and girl have been charged with criminal damage and assault after Christmas displays were trashed over the weekend.

Residents in Cliffsend, near Ramsgate, woke to find decorations outside their homes had been destroyed.

The village hall was also targeted with every single light smashed, the flagpole snapped, the tree broken and knitted toppers “ripped to shreds”.

Two teens arrested shortly before midnight on Saturday have now been charged with criminal damage relating to six incidents allegedly committed on December 13 and 14.

The 15-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl have also been charged with assaulting a woman who is known to them on December 14.

Ring doorbell footage shared online showed an ornamental reindeer being kicked over and a large decoration being thrown at a van outside a house in Foads Lane.

Resident Dale Norton, 46, previously told KentOnline: “Everyone's wound up. You build up your decorations over the year and you put them out for everyone else, don't you?

“It's not just for yourself, it's just to bring a bit of joy to the area.”

His work van was reportedly damaged during the incident, putting him out of pocket just over a week before Christmas.

The two teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been bailed to appear before Folkestone Youth Court on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.