VANDALS of primary school age have trashed the garden of a Greenock nursery.

It's the THIRD time the Aileymill play centre has been targeted this term.

The mindless attack has left staff sickened and the children upset.

Kay Anderson, of the nursery, said: "Ironically, our latest topic has been about the importance of looking after the environment.

"The children are very disappointed and they can't understand why anyone would want to do this."

Furniture was smashed, rainwater troughs and planters overturned and recycling materials left strewn across the garden in Monday's wrecking spree.

CCTV footage of the incident shows four children systematically damaging everything in sight.

Police confirmed today that officers are investigating the matter.

Ms Anderson, Aileymill Nursery's lead practitioner, said: "It is obviously kids who have done this.

"It's the third time this term, since last August, that this has happened.

"We are appealing to the community to keep a lookout because a lot of houses are around the nursery and people should phone the community wardens.

"A lot of children from this community attend the nursery."

Wooden pallets, tyres and other items known as 'open-ended resources' used to develop imagination skills have also been damaged.

In a previous attack the nursery's mud garden was targeted with vegetables and plants being uprooted and tossed away.

Ms Anderson said: "We've tidied it up and we're always developing the garden.

"We can't buy new stuff, so we have to improvise.

"I hope that if people see anything they alert the community wardens.

"We try to make the garden an exciting area and we want to continue developing it."

She added: "We talk to the children about the importance of looking after resources because they cost money and property has to be respected.

"They've been saying things about how we don't have money to replace the broken things.

"It's all very sad."

Sergeant Laura Stewart of Greenock police confirmed that an investigation is underway into the latest Aileymill incident.

Inverclyde's community warden service can be contacted by phoning 0800 01 317 01.