Flowers and shrubs planted to brighten up Maldon town have been stolen, to the dismay of residents.

Flower from beds in Market Hill garden and planters on Fullbridge bridge, were all removed within a week of each other.

The beds were stripped on June 25 and £50 worth of plants were taken.

The colourful planters were bolted to the bridge, after some were stolen in 2013, but thieves removed the inserts last Friday, leaving them empty.

Roberta Marchant, 68, of London Road, Maldon, chairman of Maldon in Bloom said: “We are absolutely devastated this sort of thing happened."