DOZENS of coping stones have been systematically removed from the perimeter wall of an Accrington park.

Appalled park users reported the damage early on Sunday morning close to the entrance to Oakhill Park in Manchester Road.

Dozens of large coping stones along a 40-foot length of the high wall had been removed, with many still left piled up on nearby grass.

After the incident was reported to the police and Hyndburn Council, a team managed to retrieve some of the stones yesterday afternoon.

They were taken to a secure location with a view to them being reinstated at a later date.

Cllr Clare Pritchard, who represents Accrington North, said that she had dealt with several incidents of such theft in the past six weeks and it was 'a growing, serious problem'.

She said: "Some of the stones had been left nearby, presumably to be picked up later.

"I reported it on Sunday morning and standby officers from the council and the police went on site and salvaged some materials.

"In the past six weeks in my ward I've had numerous similar incidents reported in Church, Huncoat and Milnshaw.

"They must be getting stolen to order, otherwise where are they going?

"I'd like to echo the police advice that if anyone sees people taking stonework, report it to the police.

"If they are doing it legitimately, they won't mind an officer checking them."

Manchester Road resident, Cheryl Smith, 45, who walking in Oakhill Park yesterday, said: "It's terrible to destroy something that is enjoyed by a lot of people.

"People around here are rightly proud of this park and to see it damaged in such a mindless way is upsetting and frustrating."

Last month, police said there had been 12 targeted stone thefts in Accrington recently.

There was a previous incident in Oakhill Park on Monday, September 19, when slabs were taken from a wall.

Then, police urged residents to be on the lookout and call them if they notice anything suspicious.

PC Liz Sharpe, community beat manager in Accrington, said: “We are looking for help from members of the public and residents to help us locate the offenders.

“We are asking people with stone flags to ensure they are secured the best they can and if possible to make them identifiable.

“We would also be interested to know from the public if anything suspicious or unusual took place in any of these areas, such as unusual vans, work vehicles, increased high visibility work men looking out of place.

“This also includes anyone who may have any CCTV of suspicious vehicles."

To make a report to the police call 101.