Vandals cut power cables to lights on Ludlow's Christmas tree

This is not the first time offenders have targeted the town's Christmas display, after 60 bulbs were smashed last year.

The Christmas lights were set to be repaired last night by Ludlow Town Council ahead of the switch-on.

Andy Boddington, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North, said there is too much vandalism in the town and that the CCTV is "hopeless".

He said: “We can’t condone vandalism. We have too much of it Ludlow at present. We have witnessed an increase in graffiti and petty damage around the town. But even where these crimes are small, someone must pay for the clean-up and repairs.

“We can’t expect a constant police presence in our town centre at night. But we see the police out and about in Ludlow on fewer and fewer occasions. Rural police officers are spread thinly on the ground and are getting thinner. The CCTV in the town is hopeless. It doesn’t even have the resolution to identify individuals.

“We need to invest in this county’s young people. Not just to prevent vandalism but also to guide them to a good future.”

Tracey Huffer, chairwoman of Ludlow Youth Partnership and Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow East, said: "We have been working flat out to help young people in Ludlow. Many of them do not have enough to do in a small town like ours in the evening.

“The youth café at the Methodist Church is working incredibly well. We have also used Shropshire Council funding to employ youth workers to go out at night to engage with young people.

“But we can’t deny the reality that the money for young people in this county is being cut by Shropshire Council. That means we will be able to do less in the future without alternative funding.

“We are always short of youth workers. The good news is that recent open events have recruited more people wanting to train to help young people.”