Nine months of work creating an urban wood in Penwortham has been undone by vandals.

Diggy Sticks has been preparing to open as a way to re-engage people with their urban woodland spaces.

Krista Reynolds and other volunteers have been clearing an overgrown space to create the new space loaned to them by South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council.

But during Friday (26 April) the area was left trashed by vandals and wooden areas set alight.

The space off Factory Lane and close to the Old Tram Road saw the wood store burned and damage to other wooden natural resources.

Litter was left strewn across the space and plants were pulled up around the area.

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Krista said: “Information about Diggy Sticks has been displayed in the local area including inviting the public to share the space responsibly and respectfully.

“This has the potential to set back the launch of the project as things that have already been completed will need to be re-done.

“Diggy is a community project that has only come in to being through the hard work and determination of a small team of volunteers. Every bit of work, every resource and every piece of equipment has come from volunteers and voluntary contributions up to this point.

“All with the aim of helping re-engage our community with its urban woodlands. We will not let mindless vandalism stop us.”

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Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call police on 101 and give reference PE00492033JFCLJ.