Thoughtless 'revellers' have undone hundreds of pounds-worth of hard work by charity volunteers after they wrecked a marquee which had been pitched for a Falmouth fete.

The staff and volunteers of Abbeyfield Society had arranged a fete for Saturday morning, with a very large marquee on the forecourt of the charity's property at Tresillian House, but when they arrived on the morning of the event, the tent had gone.

Linda Harley, senior house manager, said: "When staff arrived on Saturday morning the marquee was no longer in place and neighbours informed us that ‘revellers’ off the beach in the early hours of Saturday had cut the guy ropes, twisted the marquee legs and took the whole thing down the road and dumped it in a neighbours garden.

"This marque had cost £400 and is now unusable. The fete has raised approximately £400 on Saturday, which was to be used for the residents fund to ensure that the Christmas meal we had booked at the Falmouth Hotel could be paid for."

She descirbed the loss of the marquee, which is less than a year old, as a "a body blow", because, as well as being used at Tresillian House it is central to fundraisers for five other centres run by the group in the south west.

Linda added: "I would just like the people responsible for the damage to realise what they have done and that the Abbeyfield is a charity for sheltered housing for independent living for the over 55s. It is not easy to raise funds for the residents."

She said the police would be notified of the incident.