An arts group is defiant vandals will not stop it marking the centenary of the First World War.

From Saturday, Murston Old Church is set to be home to a project paying tribute to the fallen with an installation of thousands of poppies, handmade by members of the community.

But last week, organisers were appalled to find it had been broken into, and the door smashed to pieces.

It is thought to have happened on Sunday, September 23 - the second time the church has been targeted in 18 months. The door was also damaged last July.

It caused alarm for the organisation Murston HeArt, which calls the holy place home.

Project leader, Sioux Peto, said: “Vandalism is something we’ve had to live with for the last 30 to 40 years and we never have any money to do the repairs.

“There are 3,500 poppies that the community have made stored in there. When I saw what had happened I was really upset but luckily they hadn’t touched them.”

On Saturday visitors will be welcomed to the church, in Stadium Way, to view the opening of the Murston HeArt Poppy Project. The artificial flowers will go on display in an installation inspired by the ceramic poppy creation at the Tower of London in 2014 and designed to commemorate the thousands of people from Swale who died during the Great War.

"You can't give in to one or two people," - Sioux Peto

Ms Peto, who has worked with Ali Corbel from Swale in Bloom to create the artwork, said: “Once you give your work to the community it’s down to the community to look after it and enjoy it.

“You can’t give in to one or two people for something which will benefit thousands.

“These people gave their lives for our future.”

The poppies have been designed by people of all ages, using plastic bottles and old CDs to create the flowers.

From 11am on Saturday, they will be on show outside the church for five weeks until November 11. On the day there will be poppy making workshops, poetry readings, music from the Sittingbourne Sea Cadets band and a play about the women left behind during the conflict, performed by Big Fish Arts.