VANDALS have damaged the graves of children buried in Paignton cemetery, leaving a shocked and disgusted family with a possible £1,500 repair bill.

A night-time attack was carried out on the children's section of the graveyard at Ailescombe Road where many of the burials are those of special needs youngsters.

The memorials damaged were on the graves of Susan Rashid's nine-year-old daughter Sarah and another three-year-old, who both died in the mid-1990s and had special needs.

A large chunk was broken off the rim of a heart-shaped memorial marking the resting place of Sarah. A teddy bear headstone on the grave of the younger child was snapped off and the plinth dislodged.

Sarah Rashid died in 1993 having been afflicted with severe brain damage all her life, which meant she was unable to speak or walk.

Her mother Susan, a supply teacher from Galmpton, said: "I feel extremely sad and despair that these things go on.

"It is such a callous thing that has been done. It doesn't show respect for the dead or their families.

"Where is people's sensitivity? They don't seem to appreciate that people have lost someone dear."

She said they believe youths may have done the damage possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

"I suspect a skateboard or trike has been used to cause the damage," said Susan. "Why they have done this is beyond me."

She said the attack has upset all members of the family, Sarah's father Aziz, and her sisters Hannah 23, and Rebecca, 21.

The memorial stone was valued at more than £1,500 and the family are investigating the cost of repairs.

Mrs Rashid said: "Those who did it probably won't be able to recall what they have done.

"Now they know about it I hope they will feel bad about it: if not shame on them.

"Sarah was always smiling and always communicating with her eyes. She was a wonderful little girl and we will never forget her."

Sarah's sister Hannah said she is saddened, incensed, shocked and disgusted at the desecration of the grave.

"It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that a group of youths, probably no older than myself, had vandalised my sister's memorial stone," she said. "How could anyone stoop so low and behave so disrespectfully?"

Hannah said she is ashamed to be part of a generation which could do such a thing.

"As a trainee solicitor, I have seen some sights and have in turn acquired the ability to be sympathetic towards individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life, but what these youths did to my sister's grave was completely incomprehensible," she said.

The cemetery is locked each night so it is thought the vandals must have climbed over a wall or squeezed through a hedge.

Cemetery manager Alex Finch said: "It just makes me sick that people would do this."

The attack happened between 5pm last Thursday and 7.30am the next day when the damaged was discovered by a gardener.

Miss Finch said: "I have no idea what has been used to do this damage as nothing was left behind.

"They must have walked past a number of other graves before attacking these two.

"We have no idea why they would single out these two memorials."

Paignton police Sergeant Fred Lefouili said the incident will be investigated by the Foxhole neighbourhood policing team.

He said: "It sounds like children from the details I have been given. It is mindless."