MINDLESS vandals have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a memorial to the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

Residents of Port Sunlight village have spoken of their shock and upset at waking to find an “absolute scene of devastation” at their memorial garden.

A gang targeted the stonework around the garden on Saturday night, loosening it and then pulling down and throwing parts of the wall.

The commemorative area was built by Unilever shortly after the stadium disaster 20 years ago.

Margaret Aspinall of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, who lost her 18-year-old son James in the tragedy, said: “It is an absolute disgrace. They don’t know how many people they are upsetting, and if they do, they should be ashamed of themselves.

“It is a lovely memorial, and it was so kind of them to do it for the 96.

“It means a great deal to the families on that side, as well as ordinary members of the public.”

A witness to the vandalism said she thought heard the revving of a motorbike just after midnight on Sunday; when her husband went outside to investigate he realised that the sound was the wall falling and saw three youths running away.