A THEYDON Bois family returned from holiday to find pathetic and mindless' vandals had caused £2,500 damage in their garden.

Eleanor Dodman, of Theydon Park Road, raised the alarm after she returned early from a family holiday in the French Alps.

Vandals had burned plastic garden furniture, smashed greenhouse and shed windows, punctured a water butt and smashed wooden decking.

They had also destroyed terracotta pots, garden ornaments and oil-fired lanterns, and pelted the house with rotten windfall apples.

Eleanor's mother, Jacq, said: "Neighbours saw a group of kids loitering in our garden and then saw them smashing up the glasshouse.

"They thought it strange - but then people these days are worried about poking their noses into other people's business."

Police are investigating the attack which was discovered on August 24.

Mrs Dodman felt both anger and frustration after she returned home and found her garden in ruins.

She said: "We were really concerned until we learnt it was kids. It was pathetic and mindless but when we realised it was stupid kids we were less frightened.

"Thank goodness they're going back to school where they will have less mindless things to do. Maybe they have little to occupy them outside school, but what can you do?"