VANDALS have targeted Whalley Abbey once again by breaking some of the newly planted trees in the area.

This is despite CCTV being erected in the area earlier this year in a bid to curb the anti-social behaviour.

Posting to a Facebook community group, one woman complained about “more anti-social behaviour” at the Abbey.

She added: “Newly planted trees have just been snapped off.”

Members of the community group were quick to comment.”

The post has over 130  reactions and 48 comments.

One person wrote: “I hope they're caught. That's criminal damage.

Another said: “More CCTV cameras are needed around Whalley now as the population grows and the area unable to be policed as strongly as we’d like.”

“This sort of thing is happening far too often now,” wrote another. “What goes through these “kids” minds, parents would be so ashamed if it was their kids.

"What do they get out of doing it, vandalism is still an offence isn’t it?”

Another commenter said: “Oh no, that's really sad. I remember them being planted. Such mindless behaviour.”

Another simply described the incident as “heartbreaking”.

Sergeant Kev Day, of the Ribble Valley Neighbourhood Policing Team, said “a large number of teenagers” may be behind some of the incidents.

He said: “We are aware of issues involving large numbers of teenagers, some from out of the area, congregating at Whalley Abbey and committing anti-social behaviour.

“We appreciate the negative impact this can have on the lives of residents and the wider community and action is ongoing to address it.

“We have reviewed our resources to ensure our officers are in the places they are most needed, as we do on a regular basis. That work will continue.

“We will engage with these youngsters but if any criminal offences are found to have taken place then we will respond in as robust a manner as possible.”

This isn’t the first Whalley Abbey incident relating to anti-social behaviour.

Just last month, the newly appointed director for one of East Lancashire's most revered historical sites called upon parents and police to help curb continuous youth anti-social behaviour after the grounds of Whalley Abbey were trashed.

Revd Thomas said youngsters were caught climbing through windows, while damage had been done to the garden, fences smashed, flowers trashed and obscenities shouted.

In the same month, CCTV cameras were erected at Whalley Abbey in an attempt to curb the vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

However, the CCTV did little to curb the behaviour as just weeks later in August, vandals targeted Old Grammar School and destroyed a 200-year-old window.