VANDALS who destroyed a tree-planting project have been described as "mindless idiots" by police and the teenagers who spent 18-months running the scheme.

Members of the Cockfield Youth Project have been devastated by the attack, which saw saplings uprooted and dozens of young trees destroyed.

The vandals caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage to the tree-planting scheme, which is run by about 20 young people aged between 14 and 16.

Cockfield Youth Project chairman, Ben Parson, 15, said: "We have been working on the project since November 1999, and we think the vandalism was caused by nothing more than mindless idiots.

"I was sickened at the news of the destroying of trees which were planted by the group and myself.

"We have worked hard in improving the recreation ground and can't understand why people would destroy their own community."

The project has received European Union and Single Regeneration Budget funding, and has raised more than £5,500 through fundraising events.

The youth project has received guidance from Groundwork West Durham, which has helped the group to raise a total of £65,000 in order to carry out other projects on the recreation ground, including providing youngsters with a five-a-side all-weather football pitch.

Groundwork's Carolyn Granthier said: "The children are obviously devastated by this, and what makes it worse is that it could well be local people who are responsible.

"It is doubly annoying because young people get a bad press and then when they do try to do something positive it is ruined."

The group cannot afford to replace the vandalised trees, and members will have to wait until November, when more funding is available, before many of the uprooted saplings can be replanted.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about the damage to contact them immediately.

Inspector Dave Allaway, of Barnard Castle police, said: "The mindless people who do this kind of thing are really attacking their own community.

"I wish people like this would sit down and think about their actions. It is just very sad and, of course, we don't treat things like this lightly - we need people to come forward with information."