A GROUP of youths have broken into and trashed a community garden in Ardrossan.

Plot holders arrived at the Three Towns Growers Allotments in Elm Park on Saturday morning to find the carnage.

A plot holder told the Herald that when he saw the state of the place: “It was a feeling of disbelief to be honest.”

Tools had been stolen and used to wreck the place, they attempted to start a fire, furniture was destroyed, cans of beer discarded, and fruit and vegetables crushed.

Stanley knives taken from sheds were used to slash the brand new community poly tunnel.

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald:

Colin Hargreaves, who has a plot at the allotment, told the Herald: "I noticed a couple of doors open on the first two allotment plots as I drove in.

"[I] thought that the wind must have been stronger than I’d realised on Friday night.

"I made my way further round I saw that there were many more open doors to sheds and poly tunnels and pieces of smashed vegetation and some belongings lying out in the roadway.

"When I got to my plot it confirmed it for me that people had been in both my shed and poly tunnel as things had been thrown around."

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald:

Colin called other plot holders and they came down to check their own areas.

The intruders had taken furnitiure into the large communal poly tunnel where they ate food stolen from some sheds and smashed fruit growing in the tunnel where they also tried to start a fire.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said enquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible.

The spokesperson said: "[We] can confirm that at 10.38am, Saturday, September 12, 2020, Police Scotland received a call regarding youths gaining access to the Three Towns Growers Allotments, Ardrossan.

"Anyone with information regards this matter please contact 101 quoting incident number 1234 of 12/09/20."

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald: