MINDLESS vandals smashed greenhouses and damaged vegetables and plants when they raided allotments for the second time in two weeks.

The Poppleton Road site was targeted by a group at 9.50pm on Thursday and heartbroken owners arrived at their plot to find much of their hard work destroyed.

Shattered glass lay around four greenhouses - including one belonging to an elderly man - but most of the debris fell into the properties and left crops useless.

Peter Byrne, chairman of Poppleton Road Allotment Association, said: "Things are going extremely well and the plants are very well established, but some house plants have been damaged with the broken glass.

"It's distressing that plants are growing inside and they are damaged.

"We have just got to get on with it and one thing we have done in the past is contact schools nearby and let them know what is going on.

Bill Cooper, head of the committee, added: “They have been breaking greenhouse glass, which is a nuisance because to get new panes of glass cut isn’t cheap. Just one square of glass costs a fiver.

"We have a lot of pensioners here, including myself, and it can be a lump of money to pay out.

"We have got tomato plants in the greenhouses at the moment."

A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police has asked anyone with information to get in touch.

He said: "Unacceptable damage caused to greenhouses in Poppleton Road allotments.

"Please be vigilant in the area of Poppleton Road Allotments and call us as soon as possible if you see anything."

Anyone with information should call 101 and quote reference number 18062016-0228.