CONTRACTORS were forced to stop boarding up a vandalised shop on River Way when a gang of children threw stones at them.

The incident happened after the building, owned by Test Valley Borough Council and empty for several years, was broken into and a quantity of till rolls thrown around the area outside.

A council spokesman said it was thought the gang wanted to stop the shop from being boarded up because it was thought some children remained inside.

"The contractors went back and completed the work the next day.

"It took almost the whole day to clear up the rubbish."