MINDLESS thugs have vandalised a commemorative garden which was built by volunteers at a Poole Library.

Individual handcrafted poppies, which were screwed into one of the garden's trees, at Oakdale Library, have been ripped out.

Meanwhile, elements of the garden's adventure trail, which recently won a Wessex Watermark Award - given in conjunction with David Bellamy's Conservation Trust - have also been smashed up.

Oakdale Library Garden's associate treasurer Ray Alderton told the Daily Echo that volunteers, who have given up hundreds of hours of their free time, had been left "angry and distressed" by the vandalism.

The series of attacks, which have taken place over recent weeks, have also been "soul destroying" for library patrons, volunteers said.

Mr Alderton explained: "Unfortunately over the last couple of weeks we have experienced vandalism at the trail including the destruction of one of our spider web creations at the entrance to the adventure trail and destruction of home made 'animals' in the trail itself.

"We have also had more damage to the commemorative garden with poppies that were screwed to a tree removed and no where to be seen."

The attacks have been reported to Dorset Police and garden volunteers have urged anyone with information - or anyone who notices unusual activity in the gardens - to notify police.

Mr Alderton said: "This has caused distress to not only the volunteers who have spent many hours creating these gardens but also to the library users.

"This vandalism is mindless.

"We have reported it to the local police.

"We have created these gardens for the local community and it is so sad that one or two individuals are ruining our hard work.

"This is an entirely voluntary project, so we get no council funding.

"We've had problems like this in the past - always at the same time of year."