Vandals have left a grandmother heartbroken after smashing up a communal garden she had spent a year transforming.

Yobs stole garden ornaments, ripped up tomato plants and damaged brickwork in an apparently unprovoked attack on the garden in Tern Walk, Greater Leys, Oxford. It was not the first time the garden had been targeted. In October last year, tools were stolen from a shed outside the garden, which serves the elderly residents of the Russell House flats.

Kaye Ellis, 75, who transformed the garden from an overgrown mess into an attractive outdoor area, said she had to visit a doctor because of the stress of seeing the wrecked garden.

The grandmother-of-eight said: "At the moment it is a hard thing to look out at the garden, which was so nice. Now it is a mess.

"I have been too heartbroken to go out and do anything with it. I look out on it now and have the feeling 'why bother?'. But I will do it again otherwise they would have beaten me."

Mrs Ellis said she had tended to the garden every day for more than a year after her neighbours asked if she could tidy it up. She bought tools and asked local companies to donate plants and compost before arranging the ornaments and creating a vegetable patch.

Mrs Ellis said: "The garden is everything to me. It gave me great pleasure. I couldn¹t wait to get out there some days.

"The people who did this are an absolute disgrace. I don¹t know why they did it — I am just absolutely disgusted with them.

"I am just so angry. They have deprived the residents here of looking out on a nice garden."

The vandals ransacked the garden on the night of Thursday, October 16. They also stole 15 ornaments, worth £50, damaged flowerpots and ripped out scarecrows.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed officers were investigating the incident. No-one has been arrested.

PCSO Kate Howkins said: "As well as continuing our investigation, the team is keeping an eye out for the ornaments that were stolen. We have increased patrols in the area and are reassuring residents with crime prevention and neighbourhood watch advice.

"We are also meeting with Catalyst Housing to discuss ways of improving security at the property."