A NURSERY school's pupils have been devastated by the vandalism of garden features they spent hours creating.

Pearl Robinson, headteacher of Oxhill Nursery School, Stanley, County Durham, said vandals had destroyed one of three willow domes and had damaged the others.

Calling on the members of the community to be vigilant, said said: "The children were devastated when they saw what the vandals had done.

"They spent days helping James Beddingfield to create the dome shelters with willow whips. They were to have started growing in a few weeks and the children were watching them daily to see if their leaves were coming out. And now this."

PC Jonathan Hamill, of Stanley Police, said vandals had entered the school overnight on April 3 and 4 and partially damaged one of the domes.

They then returned on Wednesday night to flatten one and damage two others - each is worth about £250.

PC Hamill appealed for information about the damage. He can be contacted at (01207) 232144.