THREE teenagers who vandalised Wisbech in Bloom displays just before judges visited the town have apologised and replanted the flowers.

The boys, aged 15, 16 and 17, were among a group that pulled up flowers in the area of bandstand in Wisbech Park on July 5.

The trio admitted what they’d done before police, the offenders’ parents and Fenland District Council officials agreed to use restorative justice rather than taking action for criminal damage.

The teenagers replanted the flowers and helped clear up the park after writing letters of apology to the council.

Pc Mark Bates said: “Getting them involved in the replanting showed them the work that goes into creating the flower displays and what inconvenience they caused in July.

“They got involved voluntarily and it went down really well. One of the boys even said he may have found a new hobby.”

Police were alerted by council CCTV operators before officers went to the scene where the boys admitted what they had done. The replanting of the flowers cost the council �60.

Councillor David Oliver, the council’s portfolio holder for community safety and cohesion, said: “We agreed to the police’s proposal to use restorative justice because it seemed the most positive and constructive way to deal with these young people.

“The council is responsible for looking after the park, we are technically the ‘victim’ in this case. But the real victims, of course, are the whole community, whose enjoyment of this beautiful open space is spoiled.

“It is to the credit of these lads that they have admitted that what they did was wrong and agreed to do something to put it right. We hope that they have learned their lesson and that others will take note of what they have said.”