WHITEGATE residents are even more determined to make their inventive community project a success despite vandals attacking it for the second year running.

The residents worked hard to create a colourful scarecrow trail in the village but it had only been open for a day when the vandals struck.

Five of the 32 official entries into the scarecrow competition have either been burned to the ground, stolen or damaged in some way since the trail opened on September 10.

It is set to run until Saturday when the best scarecrow will be announced.

Chris Moseley, member of the Whitegate and Marton Projects Group, said: "We had two 'policemen' standing by the side of the road as if they had speed cameras.

"I think they've offended people and duped them into thinking they were real, so they went.

"A rugby player scarecrow down Vale Royal Drive had its head pulled off late one night.

"And a football player outside the football field was burned to the ground.

"There was one called 'getting afloat' in a boat and the whole thing went missing."

He added: "Most of them were up by Saturday night and it was Sunday evening that the problems started."

Scarecrows situated outside the church were vandalised last year but this year some of them have been in people's gardens, which has worried some villagers and made others more determined to succeed.

Chris said: "Some people are determined that it won't put them off and they're going to try to salvage what they can.

"You would think people would be able to leave them alone and enjoy them for what they are.

"Those still surviving look fantastic though and it's still worth coming to have a look."

Maps showing the locations of all the registered scarecrows are available from The Plough pub, priced £1.