A CENTURY old peace garden ripped up by “evil” thieves in a night time raid will be restored to its former glory by the end of this week.

Stones were removed from Patcham Peace Garden in a recent raid by thieves in Brighton but they are now being replaced with the First World War memorial garden being returned to its former glory by the city council.

Conservative Councillor Lee Wares hailed the news and the community spirit shown by groups, businesses and volunteers in rallying round following the theft on Thursday, July 14.

He said he had received offers of help from as far away as the Middle East in response to news of the vandalism when around 30 per cent of the stone slabs at the garden were stolen.

A further fifth of the garden’s slabs which were dug up by thieves but not taken from the site and were relaid within days of the theft.

The reinstatement works will cost the council around £4,000.

Cllr Wares said that groups including the Royal British Legion, the Brighton and Hove Property Consortium and stonemason companies had all contacted him with offers of help while University of the Third Age volunteers began restoring the gardens within hours of the damage being uncovered.

The Patcham councillor said: “The fact that the slabs are being replaced and the fact that the council were able to restore the stone is great news.

“But what I think is most encouraging is how everybody has rallied round.

“Somebody emailed me from the Middle East saying what could he do to help, it was an old army major who had retired out there and had heard about it on the news.

“The incident has put the gardens on the map, its highlighted to the community and to the city that this garden exists and why it is here.

“Hopefully we will get more people to come and support the garden, more people to come and sit peacefully to remember and think what the peace gardens are all about.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “Approximately 30 per cent of the York stone originally laid down the central path of the Patcham Peace Gardens was stolen and a further 20 per cent was taken up by the thieves but not removed from site.

“Our contractor has re-laid the stone which was left behind and has sourced second hand stone, salvaged from other projects, which is scheduled to be re-laid by the end of this week to complete the reinstatement.

“The cost of the reinstatement works is estimated at £4,000 which will be funded from the council’s existing response maintenance budget for environment buildings.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Sussex Police on 101 quoting reference 607 of 14/07/16.