THIS week’s sickening attack on a memorial to First World War heroes is beyond belief. So we are sure the vast majority of our readers will share the disgust and shock felt by members of Hazlemere and District British Legion at the vandalism.

It was only last December that the community planted several trees in honour of residents of Tylers Green who died fighting in the First World War.

Then on Monday evening, vandals tore down three of the trees and smashed a memorial plaque to pieces.

The world is a hard enough place at the moment without these kind of mindless acts, especially since the memorial was the culmination of 12 months’ hard work and fundraising.

Sadly, this is not a one-off event. Another one of the Tylers Green trees was vandalised on January 31 – while a newly-planted ornamental pear tree was destroyed on Sunday night in a similar attack in Marlow.

We hope every effort will be made to catch the perpetrators and to punish them severely. Society expects no less.

Meanwhile, it would be understandable if the victims of this vandalism felt like giving up. It would be hard to blame them if they decided not to replace the trees on the grounds that they will only be attacked again.

But, try again they must. The war heroes who gave their lives to defend our freedoms do not deserve to be beaten now by a few moronic vandals.