THE grieving family of the victim of a motorbike accident have slammed cruel vandals who have trashed his beachside memorial for a second time.

Rhys Campbell, from Elphinstone, was killed when his motorbike collided with a VW Golf on the B1348 east of Seton Sands Holiday Village, Port Seton, in April. He would have been 22 on Saturday.

A roadside memorial to Rhys was soon created and, later, a memorial bench, with East Lothian Council’s consent, was erected at the nearby beach area, facing the sea.

A small garden was also created next to the bench with plants and flowerpots.

Rhys’ grandmother was walking past the site last Tuesday morning on her way to work when she noticed it had been vandalised again.

Allison Goulding, 66, of Eskmills Road in Musselburgh, said the family were shocked and angered to learn that flowers had been pulled out of the garden and a decorative wooden border stolen.

The site had previously been vandalised earlier this month when daffodil bulbs were dug up and plants pulled out. It had recently been re-planted before the vandals returned.

Rhys’ family have been shocked and angered at the vandalism and can’t understand why people would continue to desecrate the site.

Allison told the Courier: “We are upset and devastated that these low lifes would do something like this to a family who are still grieving for the loss of a son and a grandson.

“I have worked hard to make the bench nice to see so people are able to sit and think of my grandson Rhys.

“This time they took a flower pot which had primroses in it and they took the flowers out of the other pot. They also took some small log fencing which was around the garden bit behind the bench.

“We are angry and upset that someone would do something like this.

“I would like for them to think how they would feel if they had lost someone. How would they like it?

“These people seem to have no empathy or sympathy.”

Rhys’ aunt Darlene Couch also posted on Facebook on Sunday, saying: “I’m calling out the person who keeps desecrating my nephew’s memorial.

“It’s shocking that someone can be so callous.

“I want this person caught. My mum and sister have spent a fortune lovingly caring for this and this person is just disgusting – if I catch up with them, god help them.”

She also told the Courier: “I don’t get the mentality of this. It’s very upsetting to even think that someone could do it.”

Other social media users were shocked to hear of the vandalism.

One said: “They should be ashamed of themselves. Disgusting behaviour, they obviously have no conscience. I hope you get to the bottom of it.”

Another wrote: “Rhys was lovely, I went to school with him and it’s absolutely horrible that someone thinks this is acceptable. I hope they get caught. What they are doing is awful.”