VANDALS caused hundreds of pounds of damage after torching and destroying several allotment buildings.

Members of the Queen’s Park allotment association said they were “appalled and angered” at the damaged.

Two sheds and a greenhouse belonging to pensioner Michael Smith, were completely destroyed and a large shed on a neighbouring plot was badly damaged by fire.

Paul Nicholson, the chairman of the allotment association, said it was the worst vandalism he had seen at the site.

Tools and gardening supplies were also destroyed, as were plots that had recently been planted with tomatoes, potatoes and flowers.

Mr Nicholson said: “It looks like teenagers have been able to break in through the fence.

“They have been in all of the sheds but I don’t think anything has been stolen. It is very hard to understand why anyone would do this.

“There has been such a lot of damage I know some of the allotment holders are thinking of giving up.”

He said the allotment committee is now looking at putting CCTV in place and further increased security measures.

He added: “We have really fortified the site but they still seem to get in time after time. In the past there has been stealing from sheds and even poisoning of plants. It just makes you so angry.”

Crew manager Phil Jones, from Blackburn fire station, said his officers were called to the scene at around 2am on Saturday.

He said: “The fires are being treated as suspicious. Three buildings were so badly damaged that it will be very difficult to piece together what happened.”

A police spokesman said an investigation has been launched and security at the site is being looked at.

In March, vandals torched several buildings at the Witton allotments off Buncer Lane, Blackburn.