THIEVES and vandals have stolen flower baskets just days after they were planted by children to brighten up a Great Yarmouth street.Youngsters helped to fill the 19 hanging baskets outside the Apollo pub in Northgate Street on June 14 and then placed them outside shops and businesses.

THIEVES and vandals have stolen flower baskets just days after they were planted by children to brighten up a Great Yarmouth street.

Youngsters helped to fill the 19 hanging baskets outside the Apollo pub in Northgate Street on June 14 and then placed them outside shops and businesses.

As we reported last Friday, the campaign to add a splash of colour was organised by Northgate Residents' Assoc-iation with support and funding from Yarmouth In Bloom. But within days, baskets had been damaged outside Honeyz Hair Studio and Tan Anne's.

Annette Webb, owner of Tan Anne's tanning salon, believed the basket above her shop window was targeted just hours after it was put up. She arrived for work on Monday to find it ripped from its chains. But she could not see the point of replacing the floral display because the “the same thing will only happen again”.

The baskets included petunias and lobelias and were also placed near the White Swan pub.

Honeyz staff arrived on Friday morning to find one of their hanging baskets had been turned upside-down and the contents strewn across the pavement.

Hairdresser Stephanie Travis said the basket had since been replaced at the salon's expense and questioned the motives of the wreckers, adding. “I just

don't understand what enjoyment people get out of doing this.”

Earlier this month, yobs targeted Northgate Street Post Office, forcing it to close for a morning at a time when postmistress Jayne Nicholson was facing the prospect of permanent closure as part

of the national restructuring plans.

She arrived on June 6 to find vandals had posted bucketfuls of beach sand into the premises.

Information about the crimes to Norfolk police on 0845 456 4567.