JUST two days after children from Bouncy Bear Childcare in Wellington planted up a flower bed near Asda at Lancer Court the flowers were ripped out.

Staff at Ready, Bready Dough said on Saturday: “We are so disappointed to come to work and find some horrible person/people has destroyed the flower bed outside the bakery.

“The lovely flowers were planted on Thursday. It was so nice to see the children planting them and the delight in their eyes. It’s such a shame some people have to ruin something so nice.”

Several local people condemned what had happened on Facebook, including nursery owner Samantha Caddick. She said: “We will talk to the children in the nursery about vandalism and how thoughtless actions can hurt others. We will replant the bed with the children next week.

“Hopefully we will inspire the younger children to see the value and beauty in their local community and they will grow up to be people who want to protect it, not destroy it.”

Mark Rowland said: “This town is thriving – let’s not let a minority ruin it for others. Hopefully CCTV will find these people and make them replant the flowers in daylight when it’s busy.”

Lisa Wilkinson said: “Very sad! Lovely children planting them and then some ignorant people just ruin it. Let’s hope they get what’s coming to them.

“They should be named and shamed and apologise to those young children.”

Bridget Hughes, a relative of one of the children who put in the plants, said: “My grand-daughter did some plants there, she’ll be upset. Why can’t people leave things alone – bloody disgusting.”

Jenny Vickery from Wellington in Bloom called into the WWN’s office on Monday to say she had replanted the flower bed.