VANDALS who targeted a school’s community garden are being challenged to come back and help look after it.

Staff and pupils at St Gabriel’s RC Primary School, Prestonpans, were shocked to find their vegetable garden had been damaged when they arrived for classes earlier this month.

Vandals smashed planters, broke signs, and threw pots around in the garden.

Susan Adams, depute headteacher, said families and the local community had quickly rallied to help repair the garden, with a well-known business also offering to help out.

And she urged those responsible for the attack to consider helping out with the garden in the future.

She said: “We were so disappointed to have our vegetable garden damaged. We love to plant, watch things grow and had been tidying it up just that day.

“Our hope is that our garden is seen as a community space that everyone can visit and enjoy; we even share out our beautiful produce, so we cannot understand why a few would do this unkind thing.

“However, I’m delighted to say that since it happened, we have had so much support and kind words from our families, as well as from the wider community in Prestonpans – we even had an offer of help from Dobbies. We really appreciate all the encouragement from our wonderful community. We’re very pleased the garden is looking great again.

“We also have a message to those who did the damage: please remember that this is a community garden, so it is your garden too – why not come in and help keep it looking great?”