Local vandals who caused damage to Tenby's Beatrix Potter mural just weeks after it was refurbished should be 'named and shamed', it was claimed this week.

Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, launched a broadside at the vandals on Tuesday night after they tore the protective perspex off the mural in the town's Jubilee Gardens play area and smashed it.

The attack came as Tenby Town Council discussed a copy of a letter sent to Pembrokeshire County Council by George and Ruth Nash, of Nottingham, who were concerned about the state of the both the Jubilee and North Walk.

Clr. Mrs. Brown pointed out that the town council were painting the Jubilee play area, but were fighting a battle against vandalism.

"Most of the deterioration is caused by these vandals," she claimed. "We recently refurbished the mural and replaced its protective perspex at a cost of over £600, but less than three weeks after completing the job, all the perspex has been torn off and smashed," she claimed.

"As far as we are aware, this is the same group of vandals who used to cause problems in the town and Paragon Gardens some years ago; they have just moved out to the Jubilee and the Battery Gardens, where a number of seats were broken last week.

"It seems they may have got older, but no wiser.

"We know who they are and the police do, too, but it seems that little can be done. If the police aren't going to do something about it, then I suggest the public do.

"We are fighting a losing battle and it's about time that these people were named and shamed, because they are costing the rate-payers a lot of money."

Clr. Folland felt that the problems needed to be highlighted to the police again.

"This has been an ongoing problem for the last three or four years and it's not getting any better," he said.

"They may even be the same group involved in the near-tragedies caused by under age drinking on the South Beach.

"We need to meet with the police as a matter of urgency."

Clr. Andrew Rees wondered if the vandals had been driven out of the centre of the town by the introduction of CCTV cameras, but Clr. Folland pointed out that he had seen groups of youths actually throwing stones at the camera in South Parade.

"Perhaps there is evidence there on film that could be used against them," he suggested.

"The police know what is going on, they just need to take things further," claimed Clr. Mrs. Brown.

Members agreed to arrange a meeting with the police as soon as possible.