CHILDREN at Britannia School have been left heartbroken after a green-fingered thief targeted their new garden.The garden is being built to help celebrate the Britannia Road primary school's centenary.

CHILDREN at Britannia School have been left heartbroken after a green-fingered thief targeted their new garden.

The garden is being built to help celebrate the Britannia Road primary school's centenary.

And headteacher Karen Heath is doubly annoyed as the garden was supposed to make the community look nicer.

She said: "It's a bit disheartening, especially as the garden has been designed with the community in mind.

"It is supposed to make the outside of the school look nicer for the local area."

Mrs Heath readily admitted the area outside the school was "a bit of a mess" before the current work began.

Spirits were raised on Wednesday when the first plants went in. But on Thursday morning staff and pupils arrived to find a number missing.

And as if that was not bad enough, the garden suffered more thefts the following night.

Mrs Heath said: "We haven't got any plants to replace them. This is a joint project between Ipswich Borough Council, Suffolk County Council and the school and money will have to be found for new plants."

Disturbingly, it seems the thieves have targeted particular plants for their light green fingered antics.

Mrs Heath said: "There's been no vandalism, there's just a number of neatly dug holes where they have taken the plants."