VANDALS have wreaked havoc on a Cawthorne horse sanctuary by ripping up fences and trashing buildings, leaving horses running terrified and loose in a field overnight.

Heartless yobs smashed metal gates, dug up concrete flags and took down paddock fences before setting 21 animals loose at Albert's Horse Sanctuary, on South Lane.

Mary Hepworth, who runs the rescue centre, is baffled by the attack because there was no theft and says whoever is responsible for the damage, totalling £10,000, has simply 'gone on a trail of destruction'.

She added: "We do have some machinery and a tractor in the sanctuary and if they had pulled down fences to drive the machinery away it would have made some sense.

"But they haven't stolen any machinery, they haven't stolen anything, they have just gone on a trail of destruction and we don't know why."

Horses at the sanctuary are segregated for their own welfare because some don't get on with others but when Mary arrived Thursday morning she found them all together in one field.

She added: "All the horses have been upset, many have been kicked by others in the panic and we're left looking at all this damage wondering why on earth anyone would do this."

It follows an incident in April when the charity's shop on Greenside, in Staincross, was targeted by vandals who torched donated items in black bags outside the shop causing £500 of damage to the premises exterior.

Police are appealing for information from anyone who saw anything suspicious at the sanctuary between 7pm on Wednesday, July 23 and 9am Thursday, July 24 to contact 736030.