LATE evening visitors to a riverside beauty spot decided they wanted to get closer to the water’s edge to sit round a campfire.
So they ripped out a newly-installed bench and carried down to the river leaving those responsible for the area with the headache of moving it back and fixing it to the ground.
The bench is one of six installed by Marwood Parish Council at the popular Bandstand picnic site down by the river west of the Silver Bridge, in Barnard Castle.
Cllr Pauline Glasper said the incident, which happened on Saturday night, had been reported to police who were dealing with it as an act of vandalism.
“It must have taken at least six people to lift it down to the riverside. They have moved it about 30 yards so they could sit round their campfire.
“I can’t believe they have moved it. The ground being so wet probably made it easier.”
Cllr Glasper said that due to their heavy-duty manufacture, the recycled plastic table had not been damaged.
“We will have to get some new stakes to fix it back into the ground. We are just very disappointed after all the effort we have put in to
make the area more accessible. It’s such a popular area. We put four benches in two years ago and two more last year.”
Anyone with information should contact the police or Marwood Parish Council.
