PRIMARY school pupils who are trying to build a wildlife garden have appealed to the community to help stop vandals.

Children at Copeland Road Primary School, West Auckland, formed an Eco-Club two and a half years ago and have been enthusiastically recycling ever since.

But their dream of building a wildlife garden was thwarted when vandals got into the school grounds and wrecked it.

Teacher Elizabeth Jude, who looks after the Eco-Club, said: "We had bird boxes donated by parents, and one volunteer built a wall around the garden. But now the wall has been knocked down and the bird boxes were smashed as soon as they went up."

The children were particularly upset because a family of blue tits had nested in one of the boxes and the birds were killed when the box was thrown to the ground.

The children put the boxes up outside the school, but they were vandalised again.

Now the Environment Agency has offered to help the children and will support their quest to build their own garden.

Mrs Jude said: "There is some flood alleviation work to be done on the school grounds, and because of that the Environment Agency has offered to help."

The children, who have already received a bronze award for their environmental efforts, have written to The Northern Echo in an effort to get the community's help in protecting the garden.

Mrs Jude said: "We would appeal to the local community to be vigilant and call the police if they see people hanging around the school grounds."