Despicable thieves targeted the grounds of a mosque during Ramadan tearing-up plants just a day after volunteers planted them.

Teenagers and community leaders spent hours pruning and digging in the sweltering sunshine to improve the grounds outside the Shah Jalal Mosque in Blacon, on Thursday (July 24).

But the community has been left shocked and saddened after thieves destroyed all their hard work - pulling up a third of the plants and damaging others during the "mindless" attack.

Police believe the thieves struck during the middle of the night on Friday, ripping up 15 of the plants while worshippers celebrated the holy month of Ramadan.

Teenagers and youth workers from Christian churches across Chester, local police, PSCOs, council workers and councillors had spent the afternoon planting 40 plants and shrubs, in a project praised for 'building bridges between the communities'.

A third of the plants, which were all donated by local businesses, have vanished from the site.

Police are hunting for the heartless thieves but say they are worried about replacing the plants in case they are stolen again.

Cheshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, John Dwyer, who attended the planting day, slated the thieves for their "disgraceful" behaviour.

Mr Dwyer said: "What we saw last week was the local community working together with the mosque to make the area look more appealing with the use of plants.

"Now we’ve witnessed actions of a mindless few which are absolutely disgraceful.

"This has undone some of the fantastic work done by the community and local PCSOs. I know that the police will be doing everything they can to apprehend the perpetrators."

PCSOs Thomas McDermott and Jo Pendrey, who spent hours clearing up the land for the planting project and joined volunteers on the day, said they were 'devastated' by the crime.

PCSO McDermott said: "If we replant them then what's to stop it happening again.

"It was a fantastic day, we all got together to do this and in a matter of days they have been stolen."

"It is such a shame, it was such a great day," added PCSO Pendrey.

Blacon councillor Reggie Jones, who attended the planting afternoon, said: "I was saddened when I heard this had happened.

"A lot of people put a great deal of time and effort building bridges with the mosque and tidying up this area. To learn that someone has stolen these plants really does make me feel saddened."

Run by Engage, the project is just one of three events which happen in and around Chester every year. The projects are led by young Christians from churches around the city.

Donations for the project were made by B&Q on Sealand Road, Chester; Highfield Gardening Association and Blacon Councillors.

The planting project was highly praised by visitors from London worshipping at the mosque during Ramadan and the community was proud of what they had achieved.

The project came after a month of visits by local children to the mosque to increase their understanding of the different cultures within the Blacon Community.

Year 5 children from J H Godwin Primary School with Imam Hassan Chowdhury during the question and answer session at the mosque in Blacon

Speaking following the event Sergeant Ian Wilson said: "This latest initiative at the mosque is a fantastic example of the integration between the local and mosque communities.

"As the community Sergeant for the Blacon area I am really pleased with the progress made in developing relationships between the two communities as a result of these and other initiatives."