LESS than two years into the new millennium and already a village memorial built to celebrate 2000 years of civilisation is being destroyed by mindless vandals.

Wreckers have repeatedly attacked works of art created by volunteers from Eccleston's Green Centre and other local enthusiasts.

A weaved willow arch which marks the entrance to the scented corner of the Millennium Garden, in Red House Lane, has been torn down, destroying its chance of survival, and lilac trees and other shrubs have been uprooted.

Project co-ordinator, Tim Barwood, said: "This project is run by people who give up their spare time to create something for everyone.

"The volunteers also do a lot of work to raise funds and we have involved lots of children working in the gardens and making things such as mushrooms which they carved out of wood -- they are also affected by these vandals.

"The willow arch was designed and made by a lady called Cherry Chung. She will be devastated after all the effort she put in to running workshops in the weaving." Joyce Morris, 70, of Hawkwood, Eccleston, was saddened when she saw it. She said: "Someone is going out of their way to wreck it -- it is such a shame because the garden is so beautiful and was created for everybody's enjoyment and to celebrate our millennium -- something which affects us all."

PC David Brooks, based at Eccleston police station, said: "There has been some deliberate long-term damage to parts of the garden, but there is very little evidence to say who's done it."

He also blamed reckless youths on skateboards, bikes and inline skates for a lot of the damage. He said: "It is now the fashion to use park benches as jumps for bladers. This is a widely recognised problem in the area which many parents have actually recognised."

Some parents are now working together to set a committee, called Bladers, Boarders and Bikers, to raise funds for a skate park to alleviate the problem of boredom among the youths.