VANDALS have pulled more than 100 newly-planted young trees and shrubs from a towpath by the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Rishton.

The trees, worth £200, were planted on Friday evening by a small team of volunteers from the Rishton Prospects Panel. But within hours they were ripped from the soil by vandals, according to panel spokesman Colin Cooper.

"We were very pleased with the planting we'd done," he said. Six volunteers spent a few hours planting the saplings, which were contained in pots, along the towpath by the canal by High Street Bridge.

"They were there at 9pm on Friday, because I saw them at that time, and were still there at 10pm. But by Saturday morning, they were all gone.

"We think they were just ripped up and thrown into the canal. We found one or two in the canal and soil scattered across the towpath. It's really disappointing and shocking," he said.

"We try to do our bit to make the place better, but this sort of thing just knocks the stuffing out of us."

Nine varieties of trees and shrubs were planted, including burberry, rosemary and lavender, he said.

"We'd prepared the towpath with groundsmen from Hyndburn Council's parks department, and had rotavated and mulched the soil.

"Then we planted the saplings and shrubs. But now, there's nothing to see except bare soil. It's a shame.

"The trees and shrubs would have looked so nice, had they been left to grow.

"Being in pots, they were probably fairly easy to pull out of the ground. We've reported it to the police and PC Mark Skellorn of Great Harwood station is looking into it.

"He's been down here to have a look. If anybody has information about this, we'd like them to go straight to the police at Great Harwood."

The Rishton Prospect Panel members are to discuss the damage and consider their options. But Mr Cooper said he doubted any more saplings or shrubs would be planted this season. The group is one of a number of local panels connected to Hyndburn's Prospects Foundation, an environmental charity with connections to the borough council and other organisations.

The Prospects Foundation can be contacted at Hyndburn Council's Scaitcliffe House offices, on 01254 380675.

Great Harwood police station can be reached on 01254 353320.