A REWARD is being offered after thugs choked and drowned a popular rabbit called Thumper and left scores of youngsters devastated.

Park wardens discovered the body of Thumper -- a name given to him by adoring children -- after being told the pet pen inside Oakhill Park, Accrington, had been broken into.

Now police have passed details to Crimestoppers in the hope someone will come forward for a cash reward.

Thumper was found lying face down in the duck pond inside the pets' pen.

His hutch, which he shared with several other rabbits, had been destroyed after the yobs jumped up and down on it.

They had also ripped down fencing around the pen, which also houses goats and hens, and had thrown around trays of disinfectant put in place to eliminate the risk of the pets becoming carriers of foot and mouth.

Today, council leader Peter Britcliffe, who had taken his daughter Sara, six, to the pets' corner on many occasions, stormed: "This is the most sickening, revolting and barbaric thing I have ever heard.

"What possible satisfaction can anyone glean from coming into this pen and causing so much wanton destruction?

"I cannot believed they killed this poor, defenceless rabbit."

Coun Britcliffe said he had been told by park workers that the rabbit had been strangled then thrown into the pond or forcibly drowned.

A spokeswoman for Springhill Nursery School in Accrington said: "I know the youngsters love going there and it is a great shame this has happened."

At Childs Play playgroup, Accrington, supervisor Linda Hampson said: "It is such a cruel thing to do. It will upset the children because they all know the animals so well."

Mother of two Joanne Gregson, of Manchester Road, had taken her youngest, Bethany, three, to look at the animals yesterday. She said: "It is such a horrible thing to do."

Andrew Hayhurst, the parks manager at Hyndburn Council, said: "The officer who found the dead rabbit was extremely shocked.

"The rabbits had come from a rescue home. We don't have names for them but the youngsters often name them."

Police want anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111. WHERE'S THUMPER? Sara Britcliffe, six, whose dad Peter (right) is Hyndburn Council leader, looks sadly into the pets' corner pen SURVIVORS: Two of the remaining rabbits in the enclosure where the vandals smashed their way in