Thieves have raided a collection box at a Shetland garden dedicated to the memory of a young islander who died of cancer.
The honesty box at Michaelswood in Aith was vandalised and broken open, with a small sum of money removed.
The woodland was established by Ray and Betty Ferrie after the death in 1996 of their son Michael, a rising music star, at the age of just 21.
Mr Ferrie last night described the culprit as “some mindless, despicable moron”.
The couple now feel they must install a stronger box and a CCTV camera to deter future raids.
Police have appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
The incident occurred some time between Friday night and Saturday morning.
The plastic collection box was located in the car park of the popular community attraction.
Mr Ferrie found it had been broken open when he went to check on the garden on Saturday morning.
Last night he said that he was “more saddened about it rather than angry” about the incident at the woodlands.
The box was empty when it was found – but it is regularly emptied and there are fewer visitors at this time of year.
Mr Ferrie believes that only a small sum of money would have recovered.
He said: “We don’t know who it was, and it’s in the hands of the police, but it was perpetrated during the night, during hours of darkness,” Ray said.
“They managed to damage the donations box beyond repair. Now we’re going to have to put in a CCTV camera, because we’re duty-bound to protect people’s donations.
“You hate to think of that kind of thing going on in Shetland, that there’s somebody in Shetland like that.”
Mr Ferrie said the previous collection box had been an attractive red plastic design.
However, the new box will be made of steel – while cameras will installed to watch over the car park.
Mr Ferrie said: “I hate having to do it but that’s what we’re going to have to do if this kind of thing is going to happen.
“The box was pretty tough but it wouldn’t stand up to someone taking a crowbar to it, which is what seems to have happened.”
Hundreds of trees have been planted over the past decade at an attraction which has proved very popular among tourists and local folk.
It also features a dinosaur trail and a pirate ship for younger visitors as well as a picnic area.
Funds raised through the collection box were used for general upkeep of the garden, as well as for developing new features.
Michael Ferrie was a well-known rising music star in the islands and further afield, playing the fiddle with bands Fiddlers Bid and Drop the Box.
He died in February 1996 after a battle with testicular cancer.
His father said: “He had a short life but he packed an awful lot into it.
“He was really into his music and we were always running him about the place to gigs and things like that.
“We set the garden up after he died and called it Michaelswood in his memory.”
Mr Ferrie said he and his wife have been heartened by the amount of goodwill shown by the wider community, with many eager to chip in towards the £50 cost of a new donations box.
“It’s amazing the response from the public,” he said. “We’re very heartened by the community, everyone’s annoyed and expressing their annoyance and wanting to help pay for the damage, to help put it right again.
“So it restores your faith in humanity when you see how many good people there are. I always say that in a barrel of good apples there’s always just one bad one.”
The theft sparked an outpouring of support for the Ferries when they announced it social media.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police by dialling 101, calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 or attending Lerwick Police Station.