DISAPPOINTED young gardeners have been given a helping hand after their patch was vandalised.

Green-fingered school children were left distraught after their brand new gardening club facility was wrecked by yobs.

Scissett First School’s polytunnel and dozens of newly planted seedlings were trashed only hours after they planted them.

The polytunnel, which had been bought through families contributing supermarket vouchers, was ripped up and thrown over a hedge leaving the school’s gardening club in disarray.

But now the youngsters are set to blossom as gardeners after all after Armitage’s Garden Centre stepped in to donate new polytunnels, plants, compost and equipment.

Eight members of the school’s 22 strong gardening club visited the Shelley gardening centre to receive their equipment, where they were treated to refreshments by staff.

School business manager Terry France, said: “It’s a sad day when other young people are spoiling work that children have done.

“But thanks to the superb generosity and community spirit of Armitage’s Garden Centre we have been very lucky and we now have more than we lost.

“The children were delighted when we told them we were getting the stuff replaced as they’ve been in the club from the beginning and they’ve nurtured what they’ve grown for so long.

“Armitage’s were going to install the new tunnels for us but the kids are so keen that they’re going back to pick up it up so they can start straight away, they’re very grateful.”