THE father of a beloved nursery worker has lashed out at vandals who damaged his daughter’s memorial bench in Dunfermline.

Louise Cumming was an early years officer at Pittencrieff Primary School when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

She passed away after a four-week battle with the illness at the age of 35 in October 2015.

A rustic bench was then built and erected at Pittencrieff Park by one of her colleagues, Ben Geyer, on behalf of the school who had garden space provided to them by the Carnegie Trust.

The bench has now been torched, with Louise’s family left deeply “upset and angry” by the vandalism, believed to have taken place in the last two weeks.

Her father Tam, of Parkneuk, told the Press: “My wife Pat was shocked to see this senseless damage when she visited the park.

“I’m hoping that I can restore the damage and bring it back to how it was.

“It’s going to be a big job unfortunately.”

He added: “I don’t know who could have done it.

“It’s pointless, especially to do it to a memorial bench like this.”

Louise had worked at Pittencrieff Nursery for 13 years and was very popular with the children, parents and staff.

More than 300 school youngsters took part in a charity zumbathon in her memory to raise more than £800 for Marie Curie, who made it possible for Louise to be at home for her final days.

Family and friends completed a marathon to help raise cash for the charity while nursery children and primary pupils from Pittencrieff planted daffodils at the bench, near the playpark, for the nurses who looked after her.

Tam added: “I know that the nursery takes the kids on visits to the Glen and they visit the site.

“My wife still speaks to some of Louise’s ex-colleagues and they’re all very upset and angry by this.”