WORKMEN have slammed vandals who smashed five windows at Northwich Railway Station just days after they were put in.

Builders' materials were vandalised and a number of items stolen during the incident, which happened sometime during the weekend.

The new windows had only been put in on Wednesday.

One Greenbank builder, who did not wish to be named, said: "As we were putting in the windows, people were popping their heads in and asking how long we thought they would last.

"It's an absolute disgrace. It's disgusting. You try to tidy it and then this happens."

The builder said he lived near Greenbank Station and so hadn't seen Northwich Station for sometime.

He added: "I couldn't believe how bad the station was when I first came to work here.

"People just leave rubbish from over the weekend.

"It is one of the first things that visitors see when they come to visit Northwich and it can't be giving a very good impression of the town."

Work ground to a halt on Monday as a police investigation was carried out.

Another workman said: "We are only trying to improve the station.

"This kind of loutish behaviour does not help the situation at all."

A spokesman for Northern Rail said: "We are working with a number of organisations to find ways of making improvements to Northwich Station."