Halloween turned into a real-life horror show for one St Albans resident when vandals trashed his charity art installation.
Artwork developer Christian Bianchini is renowned for the displays he sets up in his front yard in Lattimore Road at different times of the year, with families coming from across the city to enjoy his work.
But he is regularly targeted by teenage yobs who trash the exhibits, leaving him heartbroken.
This year's Halloween display raised £311 for the National Autistic Society through cash donations, contactless payments or through a Facebook page, but in the early hours of Sunday morning, at 12.40am, it was smashed up by passing youths.
A group of four teenagers took turns punching the ghosts in the display, before escaping down the road.
Christian explained: "The installation is an interactive one for Halloween which people can activate by pressing a button. Once it is pressed it will start a light show based on a song for about 30 seconds and at the end of it, some candies will be dispensed. It took about a month and a half to make - I enjoy making these and I do it at Easter and Christmas.
"People were coming to see my installation and loving the music and the lights then on Sunday morning at not long before 1am I woke up because I could hear people screaming and throwing things. I looked outside the window and saw them punching a ghost on a piece of wood which they then threw into the road.
"I feel very angry and a bit sad because I do it to give some happiness and raise money for charity. I put a lot of time, effort and love into these displays as well as my own money. Last year it was vandalised too, but I feel like I giving up reporting to the police because they can't seem to ever do anything about it even though there are RING doorbells and CCTV in the road."
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