Cruel-tide vandalism

Tracy's partner, Daniel McDaid, 35, spent hours putting up around 300 lights on the front of the terraced house in Heys Lane, Blackburn, on Monday night.

But within hours vandals had pulled down most of the lights before dumping some in a neighbouring garden.

And to add further misery for the family, the vandals returned the following night to damage their only remaining decoration - a fibre optic wreath on the front door.

Tracy, 30, mum to five-year-old Harriet and Freya, two, said: "Daniel finished putting the lights up at about 9.30pm on Monday and we left them switched on until we went to bed at about 10.30pm.

"When my mum came round the following morning she asked why all the lights were hanging down.

"They had been cut and ripped down but it didn't appear that someone was trying to steal them, although my sister later spotted some had been dumped in a neighbour's garden.

"That night I left the wreath on the front door and the following day that too had been cut down.

"It is obvious that they were out to sabotage it. They are just nasty and evil.

"I don't put the lights up from my children I do it for everyone else.

"All the kids had been walking down the street saying how nice they were and some idiot has to come and rip it down and spoil it for everyone."

Tracy, who estimates that she has spent hundreds of pounds on lights for the house, has now refused to put them back up.

She added: "When we took Freya out to see the lights her little face lit up. She was a premature baby so this is really the first time she has been able to recognise them and enjoy them.

"We have all been upset by this pointless act of vandalism."

It is the second time this week vandals have destroyed a family's prized festive decorations. Stephen and Sheila Moss, of Preston Old Road, were left deflated after their popular eight-foot inflatable snowman, Frosty, was ruined by louts.