CHILDREN from a school in West Devon were left devastated after vandals destroyed their conservation area, and are now appealing for witnesses to come forward with information.

The pupils of Whitchurch Primary in Tavistock returned to school after the weekend to find that vandals had smashed every bird, bat and owl box from the trees in the school.

The boxes had been purchased with a grant from West Devon Borough Council, and the pupils had been following the nesting of several bird families in the boxes.

Fiona McNab, art co-ordinator at the school, said: 'The children were very upset when they came back to school on the Monday. We know there were nests in the boxes. It's a shame when things like this happen.'

The incident took place on the evening of Friday May 14, and it was a systematic attack, with each bird box being knocked from the trees, smashed and left dumped in a boggy area.

The police have been informed and WPC Hall from Tavistock Police Station has visited the school.

As the area is close to houses on both the Bishopsmead Estate and the Tiddy Brook Estate, police are hoping that residents may have seen something that could help them with their inquiries.

Anyone with information regarding the incident, is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or 08452 77744, quoting crime reference number JT/10/478.