The chairman of Borehamwood's Royal British Legion has branded the vandals who pulled up flowers at the town's war memorial on Monday night as "petty and moronic".

John Brown was alerted on Tuesday morning that the memorial, in Shenley Road, had been vandalised and he arrived to find all the red and white geraniums had been pulled out. The flowers were planted a fortnight ago.

Mr Brown said: "For what the memorial represents, what moron would do a thing like that? It is pathetic what have they achieved? It is petty and moronic."

The Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood Councillor Ernie Butler called for police to prosecute the vandals, who should be "named and shamed".

Councillor Butler added: "They are mindless idiots. The memorial is there for a reason and if it was not for people fighting in these conflicts, they would not have the freedom to do what they are doing.

"I feel very strongly the town council has spent a lot of money on bringing the war memorial to a high standard and we want to keep it at a high standard."

Contractors for Hertsmere Borough Council re-planted the flowers on Tuesday morning. Police are investigating the incident.

June 26, 2002 15:30