PUPILS have been left devastated after yobs ripped up shrubs they lovingly planted around their school only the day before.

Now the defiant youngsters have vowed not to let vandals get the better of them, by replanting the bushes.

Pupils at Abacus Primary School, in Tresco Way, Wickford, came up with the idea of planting shrubs as a way of creating an attractive border around the school instead of erecting a fence.

Members of the pupils’ council – which is made up of children aged between five and 11 – planted 30 shrubs around the school’s perimeter on Monday.

Some of the children even got their parents to take them in early, so they could take part in the planting before going on a school trip.

But the pupils arrived at school on Tuesday morning to find yobs had ripped up six of the plants.

Another two shrubs were ripped out the following day.

Headteacher Heidi Danniells: “It is just absolutely awful.

“What is worse is that the children themselves found the damaged plants.

“They had gone to check on their progress when they found them ripped up and they carried them into the school.

“The children came up with the idea for the bushes because I didn’t want to go down the route of putting a 6ft high fence up around the school.

“We are trying to create a nice environment.

“It is just unbelievable anyone would do this, and we would ask the community to help us by being vigilant.”

Miss Danniells added both the school and its pupils were “refusing to be beaten” by the vandals.

The damage has not been reported to police.