Vandals have targeted the giant poppies displayed by volunteers and town council members.

Some of the poppies which were displayed recently around Millom in the run up to Remembrance Day were covered with spray paint in an act of vandalism that also involved graphic symbols being painted onto the Army Cadet Building on Moor Road.

Cumbria county councillor for Millom and Haverigg, Doug Wilson said: "It's a shame that theses people have nothing better to do with their time. Why anyone feels the need to put crude imagery up like that for the world to see is beyond me. It shouldn't be done, they need to make better use of their time and energy."

Deputy Mayor, Angela Dixon said: "It's very sad that someone would even think of defacing poppies, I have no idea what's going through their heads.

"Thankfully the poppies were able to be cleaned up so I'm going to be putting them back up on Lapstone Road where there'll be more people to keep an eye on them.

"It needs to stop, nobody wants to see stuff like this put up or to see poppies get ruined. The town centre looks lovely with all the poppies up but someone had to go ruin it.

"The main thing is that we have a lovely day on Sunday and that we show respect to the men that died."

A total of 213 poppies have been hung in total, with another 35 in Haverigg, with each one decorated with a name of a soldier from the cenotaph.