THE Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary is appealing for help after its site was vandalised and a burnt object was thrown in with the donkeys.

The charity says a number of name magnets were taken from its herd board, and one of them had been set on fire and burnt.

"We do not understand why anyone would choose to do this," said a spokesperson for the sanctuary.

"It is very upsetting and has an obvious impact on the safety of our donkeys."

The charity is appealing to anyone who may have information on the culprit.

It says the name magnets come at a cost, and it would prefer to be spending the money on the donkeys themselves.

"We have spent a lot of time and hard work trying to improve the site, adding new boards, new information and new signage," said a spokesperson for the sanctuary.

"We are very proud of what we have created and have loved hearing the feedback we have received about these from our visitors and how much they are being enjoyed."