A VANDAL attack on a milk vending machine which cost a west Dorset business hundreds of pounds has been condemned as 'mindless' and 'senseless'.

Hollis Mead Organic Dairy in Hooke sells its milk directly to the public through its vending machines which are placed in a number of locations across the county.

One machine, outside Hunt's supermarket in Digby Road, Sherborne, was broken into on Tuesday, July 27 and again on Sunday, August 1.

The machine locks its products in place so the culprits were unable to steal anything from the machine, instead they switched it off - an act which cost the farm 200 litres worth of milk - sold at £1.50 a litre.

Around £400 worth of product had to be thrown away in total.

Rex Fisher, who works at Hollis Mead, said: "It was very upsetting for us, it was a completely mindless act. There is nothing to gain by doing it, it was just a senseless attack.

"Our whole ethos is investing in towns and trying to do right by the cows, the environment and also by local people. So for our machine to be vandalised in this way is a huge shock.

"It's a big hit for us, as a company that are trying to invest in the local community. It's such a waste of great food and milk."

"To be running a business and growing a brand, to have to worry about vandalism is hugely upsetting."

The incidents were reported to police but no arrests were made in connection with the incident. Mr Fisher said he was told by police that there wasn't much which could be done without CCTV footage.

Hollis Mead is now considering getting CCTV installed across its sites.

Mr Fisher said: "Dorset is a very quiet place with a low crime rate so we didn't originally see the need to, but unfortunately we probably will have to invest in getting CCTV.

"We've also had to redesign the hut in order to barricade and lock it."

He added: "I'd like to give an open invite to the people to come to the farm and see the process and where everything comes from and then maybe they'd think twice before committing an act like this. It feels like a terrible disconnect of local people and their food and where it comes from. For someone to do this exacerbates that lack of connection."