A COMMUNITY has rallied around to defy vandals who tried to ruin a family event.

Organisers of this year’s Tadley and Baughurst Scarecrow trail said they were disgusted by the “mindless vandalism” of one of the creations.

The “Despicable Me minion” scarecrow, which was designed and built by the Tadley Beavers and Cubs groups, was found broken on Monday morning, two days after the trail had started.

Organisers said a plank of wood had been thrown at the scarecrow, destroying part of the display.

One of the organisers of the trail, Amanda Casey, said: “It is really heartbreaking to think that someone would cause such mindless vandalism.

“We organised this event for the community and had such a great year last year, it is just a shame that some people have to spoil it.

“A lot of hard work went into creating these scarecrows, so it is just sad to see this.”

When it was posted on the Tadley and Baughurst Scarecrow Trail Facebook page there was an angry reaction with one person posting: “What sort of person gets any satisfaction or pleasure from destroying something that people / children have spent time and effort in creating for the pleasure of others.”

Despite the act of vandalism, the people of Tadley and Baughurst have rallied around to tidy up the display and one anonymous resident donated money towards repairs.

Amanda added: “The community has really come together for the whole event. I would like to say thank you to everyone who helped and to the kind person who donated money towards repairs.”

This is the second year that the Tadley and Baughurst Scarecrow Trail has taken place across town and village, and will run until Saturday, 11 August with all the money raised from the event being donated to the Tadley Citizen Advice Bureau.

Maps for the trail can be bought from a range of shops in Tadley for £1.