VANDALS have wrecked a special flower bed designed to commemorate a retired council gardener's 40 years of service.

Hyndburn Council workers were left to pick up the pieces and redesign the plot in Oak Hill Park, Accrington, after the hooligans pulled out the flowers and trampled on the bed.

It was discovered on Friday by park foreman Antony Littlewood and it is believed the vandals struck on Thursday night.

The bed was centred around a spade and fork depicted in flowers and round the sides were the words: Maurice McNamara 40 years of service.

It was planted at the start of July as a surprise for Mr McNamara, of Dill Hall Lane, Church, a council gardener and senior supervisor who took early retirement at the start of the year.

A council spokesman said: "Tidying the flowerbed will take gardeners a few hours and replanting costs could be as much as £100.

"This will be paid by the public at the end of the day. It's very upsetting to put in all this work and then have it destroyed by vandals."

Police were last week investigating two further incidents of vandalism at the park.

A car parked at Oak Hill had a window smashed and seven glass panels of a greenhouse were al so broken by vandals, who caused £175-worth of damage.

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