VANDALS have been launching a series of attacks which have ruined much-loved memorial benches at two sites in Weymouth.

One bench erected in memory of late Echo editor Peter Lush was ripped out of the ground and hurled 20ft down an embankment off the Rodwell Trail near Old Castle Road.

And vandals have also struck at the Lakeside Walk in town where several benches have been torn up and thrown into Radipole Lake.

Former Echo linotype operator Doug Gardiner, 80, who was a colleague of Mr Lush's for 33 years, is furious at the vandalism.

He said: "These people should be horsewhipped.

"Peter was a gentleman, a fine editor and a good friend, so to see his memorial bench desecrated like this make my blood boil. No one deserves to have this sort of thing happen to something put up in their memory, especially not Peter, who was liked and loved by so many people.

"Hopefully the council can get his bench put back and properly secured. It is really sad when you come to this."

Council spokesman Tara Gooding said: "Our workmen are recovering the seat and it will be checked, cleaned and restored securely to its original site.

"It is quite upsetting that people can do this sort of thing. It is happening more and more and the vandals are just playing with people's emotions.

"These seats have been provided in memory of loved ones and if they are vandalised it causes an immense amount of hurt."

She added that council workmen would also be retrieving other memorial seats which vandals had thrown into Radipole Lake.

PC Geoff Calloway of Weymouth Police patrols both areas and said: "It may be fun and games for the vandals but they are breaking someone's heart.

"There is much more to these incidents than benches because they have strong emotional ties with relatives, colleagues or friends who provided them in memory of someone they knew and loved for the benefit of the community.

"I would appeal for anyone who saw anything or for anyone with information about these incidents to come forward and talk to us on (01305) 767474."

Mr Lush joined the Echo in 1937 and rose to become editor during a career spanning 47 years with the paper. He retired in 1984 and died in 1995.