VANDALS have attacked bird boxes and trees planted by local schoolchildren and charity workers in a Great Yarmouth park.

Environmental education charity Green Light Trust had been working with children from Alderman Swindell School in Yarmouth and the mental health charity Mind to carry out improvements to Bure Park.

The aim was to make the park a more welcoming place for wildlife by making the bird boxes and planting the trees and the schoolchildren had used the park for outdoor education sessions.

The bird boxes had been built using carefully selected recycled timber and personalised by members of the group.

But when they arrived on site last week they found only the charred remains of their bird boxes, the tree stakes and protective tubes.

Sarah Moore, project leader for Green Light Trust, said: 'The group have become very attached to this site, and have been checking up on their trees and bird boxes each week, they were very upset to find that they had been demolished.

'This project is designed to bring people the positive benefits of being outdoors and learning about nature; sadly this incident has had quite the opposite effect.'

Simon Mutten, environmental services manager for Great Yarmouth Borough Council, which owns the park, said: 'The borough council have been pleased to help facilitate and support the work undertaken by the Green Light Trust in Bure Park, and, like the group, we are extremely upset and annoyed at this mindless vandalism.

'We would urge anyone who has any information to contact the police. Where the perpetrators can be identified, the council is prepared to take appropriate action.'