LACOCK schoolchildren have been left heartbroken after two of the scarecrows they built to raise funds for their school were stolen by thieves.

On Monday night, two of this year's 42 scarecrows were snatched, and a third was left without its head.

Parent Toni Hillier said special measures had been taken to make this year's models more sturdy and less easy to steal, but it hadn't deterred thieves.

"Some of these scarecrows are six feet tall and all have thick metal rods up their backs, but that doesn't seem to matter to the thieves.

"One of the villagers saw one of the scarecrows being lifted off its stake by a group of boys on Monday night, but the youths jumped into a car and sped off towards Melksham when the villager tried to follow them.

"It's such a terrible shame. All the children have worked so hard to build the scarecrows and raise money for the school just for this to happen again.

"I got a call from my friends Nicky and Richard Shipman who live in the High Street, to say the scarecrow outside their house had gone.

"Their sons Liam and Jack had spent a lot of time making the giant frog and dressing him up. All the children are really upset."

Mrs Hillier said: "The scarecrow trail can still be done, but it's still very upsetting that it's no longer complete because of the thefts."