VANDALS have ripped the fingers off a statue of Droitwich's famous saint only days after a general refurbishment had been completed.

The incident is bel-ieved to have happened some time on the evening of Thursday, October 5, on the statue of St Richard de Wych standing in Vines Park.

One of the saint's fingers had been missing for about a year and had only just been replaced by stonemason from the Forest of Dean, Glouc-estershire, who had also given the statue a general overhaul costing £1,500.

He had cleared algae from the monument, given it a lime wash and repainted lettering on the base.

Now, Wychavon District Council's officers are working with the police to sift through CCTV footage from a nearby camera in a bid to identify the culprits.

They are also appealing for any witnesses to the act of vandalism to come forward.

The cost of making the repairs is expected to be about £300.

The district council's parks officer Lynne Stevens said: "We're extremely angry and baffled as to why someone would do this.

"It's absolutely mindless and will mean spending even more money to put right - a cost which will be footed by the taxpayers of Droitwich Spa.

"We will not tolerate this and hopefully the safety camera in a nearby car park will shed some light on who is responsible.

"A lot of time and money is taken to look after our towns so residents and visitors can enjoy them.

"I only wish everybody would respect this."

St Richard of Chichester - also known as Richard de Wych - was born in Droitwich in 1197. Legend has it that he blessed the town's brine well - located where Vines Park now stands - in the mid-13th Century.

It had failed on several occasions and St Richard got it to flow again.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or Wychavon District Council's parks team on 01386 565018.