Trustees at Whittington Castle have been left dejected following the destruction of café property.

Last week staff at the castle turned up for work only to find a bench outside the café had been smashed. This follows on from last month's destruction of a number of soon to hatch swans eggs.

Trustees and other staff at the castle are now concerned as to what can be done to prevent further acts of vandalism.

Lesley Chetta, café manager at Whittington Castle, said: "I've seen them jumping on the bench, it's just mindless vandalism.

"We've tried to get them on side, encouraged them to volunteer and things like that. But it's just sad, we're thinking of taking it further.

"The whole community is shocked. We're trying to make it a nice place.

"We're trying to think what we can do, we want local children to come here. The elderly people who visit used to come here as children.

"It's the same with the swan's eggs. Yet again we're shocked and upset, but we have to carry on regardless."