VANDALS have wrecked a garden created by Flix-ton primary school pupils.

Children at Wellacre Junior School have been left devas-tated after the wreckers trashed their attractive gar-den.

The vandals laid the 'green oasis' to waste - ripping up a fence post by post, draining the pond and flinging a bench into it. They also damaged plants and smashed six windows in a corridor overlooking the garden, where pupils have painted a mural depicting scenes from around the world.

The vandalised area was the first thing shocked pupils saw as they arrived at school.

Headteacher John Reilly says: "The children created this garden in a part of the school which was just a grassed area. They worked so hard on the garden. They dug the pond, created an area for the plants and painted a mural. The whole emphasis of the project was on improving the environment - so it is ironic what it looks like now.

"The whole area is dev-astated - the only thing left is the hole where the pond was. We are all very upset and saddened by what has happened.

"The children come into school by a side path and the first thing they saw was this wrecked area. Their reaction was one of shock and disbelief that something they had created has been ruined."

But the school, on Irlam Road, is determined to bounce back from the setback. Mr Reilly continues: "We will definitely get the garden back to the way it was, but it will take some time and a lot of hard work."

He says of the culprits who broke into school grounds: "There is no purpose to what they have done except for whatever pleasure they get out of ruining the hard work of children and staff. We feel very sorry they can't find something constructive to do."

Students from Manchester University helped the pupils to create the garden during the summer term.