This is what model railway enthusiasts were met with earlier today (Saturday May 18) following a break-in by vandals who wrecked their exhibition.

Members of Market Deeping Model Railway Club and similar groups were due to open their show this morning and had spent yesterday setting up the scale models on tables around Stamford Welland Academy hall.

Many featured dozens of tiny, hand-finished components, and had taken hours of preparation.

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However, overnight four vandals got into the school and knocked over the tables and appeared to have stamped on model trains.

Some of the models and equipment had been thrown through the basketball hoops in the hall, and an electrical cable had was left hanging from one of the beams in the roof.

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Read the Mercury's article about this from earlier today.

Police were alerted by a resident at 3.50am and a short while later an alarm at the school also activated.

Officers from Lincolnshire Police and a dog handler from Cambridgeshire Police were able to track down four youths who were hiding in the school.

They were arrested on suspicion of burglary and criminal damage and were taken into custody at Grantham Police Station.

Anyone with further information on the crime can contact Stamford Police by phoning 101 and quoting incident 56 of May 18.