26 August 2023 , 19:37
640
0
Shocking photographs capture the destruction caused by mindless vandals who targeted a nursery allegedly for a laugh.
The yobs "smashed everything" at Mini Explorers Nature Nursery, near Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, last week in raid thought to have happened overnight. It left the nursery's owner Gemma Saddington heartbroken and, as nothing was stolen, she believes the vandals struck for a laugh.
She said: "It is just so frustrating... We have been open five years, and nothing like this has happened before." She and her team have had to throw many toys, including some made by parents, away because they are beyond repair. Parents have created a fundraising appeal to help the forest school recover costs to fund new resources. More than £300 has so far been raised on the page, and you can donate by clicking here.
Police are appealing for information (Facebook)Walls and floors were daubed with the childrens' paint at the nursery, which caters for around 30 youngsters and was rated as Outstanding by Ofsted after its last inspection in 2021, Worcester News reports.
Speaking to Central News on ITV, mum Emily Ashdown said: "It is absolutely disgusting. The nursery do so much to look after the environment, to teach the children to have respect and discipline but in a fun, friendly way and they are a nursery that cares just as much about the parents as the children... It's just not fair on the team that do such an amazing job for us as parents and the children to lose everything that they have put in."
Nursery apologises after child with Down's syndrome ‘treated less favourably’
A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: "We are investigating criminal damage to a forest school in Droitwich area and are appealing to residents for information.
"The forest school was damaged between 4pm August 21 and 6am August 22 when the lock was broken & paint was thrown everywhere and two cabins were broken into and everything was smashed up." If you have information about the damage, you can contact the police through its Tell Us About form on our website, quoting incident reference 00074_I_22082023."