RAMPAGING vandals who wrecked a garden of remembrance at Lancaster crematorium have been condemned by bosses.

The hooligans are believed to have struck in the early hours of Wednesday morning, leaving staff the task of cleaning up the mess and explaining to upset relatives what had happened.

Memorial urns, birdbaths and sundials were overturned, some on to other graves, in a cruel late night attack.

Although the area is patrolled by a private security firm, they were unable to prevent the attack.

And chiefs hope the vandals will be shamed by the damage and distress their actions caused.

Deputy crematorium manager Helen Goodwin said: "We just want to make a point and let these people see what they have done.

"We want to make people aware of the damage they caused and to have a bit of respect for the place that this is."

However she pledged to act quickly to ensure that the memorials were returned to their original state.

"We'll try to straighten it up as best we can. We're waiting for the police to come and have a look at it, but it will be straightened up before the end of the day."

Anyone who can help to shed any light on the incident is asked to contact either the centre managers on 848394 of Lancaster police on 63333.