A BEAUTIFUL wood carved fox created in aid of charity has had its face damaged by heartless vandals.

Four wood carvings of animals were placed in Hockley Woods back in October 2022.

This followed a charity project by Hockley resident, Jennie Spittle, who organised a charity calendar of Hockley Woods during lockdown.

With the money raised, half went to Havens Hospices, and the other half was used to have four animal wood carvings made to be places around Hockley Woods to encourage people out to nature.

The wood carvings were then made by Joe Bowen.

However, last week, walkers in Hockley Woods found the fox, known as Rufus, is missing his face and parts of his ears.

The sculpture appears to have had part of its face and ears hacked off in an apparent act of vandalism.

Jennie said: “It was very upsetting to see that the fox had been damaged.

“It was a lovely community project.

“I would have liked to have thought it had been done naturally with the heat but looking at photos a couple days before the damage there weren’t any big cracks.

“So, it wouldn’t have just happened.

“There is also damage to the ears. So, I believe someone has done this.

“I have been to the area, I have searched all the grounds around for the face, as potentially we could put that on in some way, but I can’t find anything.”

Jennie said the damage had left the community devastated.

She said: “I have been in contact with Joe who made the wood carving, and we are all very disappointed as we put so much into it.

“I am surprised it hadn’t happened before to be honest, as other things in the woods have been damaged before including a bench covered in graffiti several times.

“In some ways, I thought it would’ve happened before now, but it is very, very disappointing. But my way is to not let these people get the better of us, and to get it repaired and displayed for people to enjoy it again.”

The three other carvings, all located in different parts of the woods, currently remain untouched.