Anger turned to delight at the weekend as a group of community-spirited young people cleaned up the tarnished reputation of their generation.Stung by claims that youths had desecrated Watton's war memorials, members of the town's youth council donned fluorescent jackets and grabbed litter picks to help remove debris.

Anger turned to delight at the weekend as a group of community-spirited young people cleaned up the tarnished reputation of their generation.

Stung by claims that youths had desecrated Watton's war memorials, members of the town's youth council donned fluorescent jackets and grabbed litter picks to help remove debris.

As reported previously, vandalism at the memorials, situated at the entrance to Blenheim Grange housing estate on the edge of Carbrooke had caused a great deal of anger, trees and fencing being broken, expletives being written on benches, plants being ripped up and litter strewn all over.

'The fact that the youth council has come today and cleaned up the mess that other have left is evidence, if evidence were ever needed, that most young people are generous, community minded and good future citizens,' said Jan Godfrey, who along with Julian Horn worked to bring the memorials to the site and is now responsible for them.

After being saddened by the damage she was now thankful for the youths' offer of help and for being to able highlight positive things young people were doing.

She said: 'I am chuffed to bits. It is absolutely wonderful that someone has already cleaned the graffiti off the benches. Thank you to them. It just shows how important the memorials are to most people.

Leading the young volunteers was the chairman of Wattton Youth Council Lisa Clayton.

She said: 'It is important to do this. The people who are making the mess might not necessarily be young but that is always them who are blamed so we are showing the other side of things.'

Equipment for the cleanup event was provided by Richard Wills, Pride in Breckland coordinator at Breckland Council.

He said it was good to see young people taking pride in their community and working to make a difference.

'It is fantastic,' he said. 'What pride is all about is getting the youth involved and getting them to take responsibility for their area because they are the future of the town.'

The memorials recognise the sacrifice of British and American servicemen who flew out of Watton during the second world war.

Police are now keeping a close eye on the memorial site.

However, the vandals have already struck elsewhere. On Thursday night more than �300 worth of damage was caused on the nearby Breckland Business Park when footballs were used to smash lights and dent mental fascias on the business units there.

Anyone with information about vandalism in the town is asked to contact Watton police station on 0845 4564567.