VILLAGERS have expressed their frustrations after vandals damaged historic dry stone walls along a main road in rural Burnley.

Stones have been removed in several places beside Red Lees Road at Cliviger over the bank holiday weekend, causing concern to residents and visitors.

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Cllr David Heginbotham, who represents the Cliviger and Worsthorne ward on Burnley Council, believes that the stones were not being removed to be taken away, like several other reported similar incidents across East Lancashire.

He said: “There are parts of the wall which are missing all along the road, from around the Kettledrum Inn to Foxstones Lane.

“The stones have been left strewn across the path and it looks like they have been put back in places. We’ve been asking if there’s any CCTV footage which might help.

“It’s a real trail of destruction but this isn’t the first time we’ve had something like this happening along Red Lees Road.

“This stretch is part of a popular local walk which stretches all the way to Gorple and these people have certainly helped to destroy the wall in places.

One walker, Brian Peers, who is in his 60s, said: “It just appears to be wanton vandalism for no reason whatsoever.

“Anyone who remove these stones should be forced to take part in a dry stone walling course so they can restore them. I don’t see why it should be left to the local landowners to sort out. Surely they’ve got enough to be getting on with.”

Firefighters and local farmers, using tractors and trailers to clear up the rubble, are understood to have repaired some of the damage.

Stones were also removed from part of Salterford Lane, which leads into Worsthorne village and Long Causeway, near the Coal Clough wind farm. There was also a suspected arson attack on a car which had been left on Long Causeway over the weekend.

An appeal was launched last week by Lancashire Police after residents reported several thefts of coping stones in the Keighley Road area of Trawden and the Skipton Road section of Laneshaw Bridge, near Colne.

Intruders from West Yorkshire have been blamed for the bulk of the Pendle incidents and householders have been urged to be on the lookout for anyone acting suspiciously.