Determined staff at a Kilwinning nursery which was ransacked by vandals say they won’t let mindless yobs destroy their centre.

Staff at Rainbow Childcare were left devastated at the weekend after discovering the nursery garden had been all but destroyed by smashed glass, graffiti, scorch marks and discarded matches.

Irvine Times:

Managing Director Jim Frew, pictured, was first to see the mess on Sunday, but after a bit of elbow grease, the garden area was fixed up before children returned this week.

Siobhan Davidson of Rainbow Childcare told the Times: “We couldn’t believe it. Why would anybody want to target a children’s nursery? That was what was going through our heads.

“Everyone has worked hard on it to get the gardens the way they were and the kids love it, so it was devastating.

Irvine Times:

“It’s all getting cleared now and we’re just getting the shed organised.

“It should all be back to normal by tomorrow [Tuesday] and the kids will be enjoying it again when they return.”

After the damage was discovered on Sunday, Caroline Frew Greenan said: “We are utterly devastated to see the vandalism that has been done to our nursery garden last night. Broken glass, graffiti and just chaos.

Irvine Times:

“We will have some sad children at Rainbow this week as we close off the garden to make it safe again. Whilst cleaning the mess we found scorch marks in areas and matches so it could have been a lot worse they were clearly trying to set it on fire.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “At 2.58pm on Sunday, August 4 police received a report of vandalism to premises situated in Howgate, Kilwinning.

“Details were noted and enquiries continue to trace the perpetrator(s).”

Police are appealing for witnesses and ask that anyone with information please contact 101 quoting incident 2828 of 4/8/19