ALLOTMENT holders in Poole have been left heartbroken after their sheds and plots were ruthlessly vandalised.

Doors were ripped off and windows smashed in the rampage at the Alder Farm Allotments.

Frank Court, one of the allotment holders, was greeted with the upsetting scene when he arrived at the site on Wednesday morning.

He said vandalism was a regular occurrence at the allotments.

“We get problems every year,” he said.

“It is very upsetting. Most of us are pensioners and we spend a lot of time down here.

“You put a lot of money into your plot but people just want to give up after this sort of thing.”

Mr Court said tools, including a £17,000 lawnmower, had been stolen in the past and the allotment holders’ office broken into.

“I’ve even told people not to even bother putting locks on their sheds as it’s like an invitation to the vandals,” he added.

The Alder Farm site, off Alder Crescent, is home to 84 allotments in total.

It was taken back into council control last year after 10 years of ownership by the Alder Farm Allotment Association.

Police said they had received reports that around ten sheds had been damaged on the site on Wednesday.

Anyone with information about the vandalism should call Dorset Police on 01202 222222.