A pre-school in a town has said it is “incredibly grateful” for community support after its new forest school space was vandalised just a month after planting.

Staff at Hadleigh Parkside Pre-school were shocked to discover on Tuesday that the forest school area in Pykenham Park had been destroyed, with trees uprooted.

A community fundraiser has raised £500 so far to install additional CCTV to cover the area, while HEAT volunteers and Babergh district councillors met with the pre-school staff on Wednesday to replant the trees.

Rhiannon Clark and Mica Robinson, the forest school leaders, said: “Despite the damage, we are hopeful we have given the roots enough care for them to still thrive in the area.

"All children and staff at Parkside are upset to see the area vandalised as we take so much pride in what we have created for the community.

“We have received an incredible support from the local community and feel incredibly grateful to have raised £500 in one day to help cover some costs of installing additional CCTV.”

East Anglian Daily Times:

It was only in March that planting for the forest school area took place, with the aim to create a green space where children and the wider community could use to learn, play, and become environmentally conscious.