Vandals attack nursery again (From Stroud News and Journal)

Vandals attack nursery again

CHILDREN are distraught after vandals attacked their nursery for the third time in less than a year, causing over £300 worth of damage.

Staff at the Puddleducks nursery in Chalford Sports and Social Club returned from the summer break on Monday to discover windows in their Wendy house had been smashed and the tree house had been broken.

The tree house had to be thrown away as it could not be fixed, and sharp plastic edges that now stick out mean it is no longer safe, while the sports club has paid for the windows of the Wendy house to be boarded up.

The nursery, a registered charity which relies on government funding and donations, is now appealing for play equipment to replace the broken items.

Kirsty Ratcliffe, who works at the nursery, said: "The children have asked where the glass has gone and a three-year-old boy came up to me yesterday and asked who had broken the slide?

"The Wendy house has had to be boarded up and now it's so dark that the children can't shut the door.

"All of the children have gone to play on their favourite thing, the Wendy house, but we've had to say they can't and they're devastated.

"The people doing this damage might have cousins or brothers and sisters in the nursery. This affects the whole community. It's just mindless."

The nursery, which has 40 children, has suffered two previous attacks. On two separate occasions around October last year, windows in the Wendy house were smashed.

Anyone who would like to make a donation should contact Kirsty Ratcliffe on 01453 883395.