TWO out of three stone towers built as memorials which were levelled by vandals have been rebuilt.

The nine-foot cairns once again stand proudly in a quarry near Cloughfold after they were reduced to piles of rock last month.

Mountain bike enthusiast Jan Czugalinski, who originally built the pillars, said he had erected them in memory of three family friends, Jean O’Loughlin, Joanne McEwan and Ross Allen, all from Cloughfold.

Two of the towers were rebuilt by volunteers including Shane Allen, Ross’s brother.

Ross, 33, died last year after spending more than two weeks in hospital suffering from sepsis.

Mrs O’Loughlin, 81, had suffered from Dementia and had been a family friend for several years as had Miss McEwan, who lost a battle to cancer.

Hazel Allen, Ross’s mother, said she was very proud her son and his friends decided to rebuild the towers.

She said: “I was absolutely over the moon. He told me to look out of my window towards where the towers used to be and I was so happy to see two of them back.

“It was the best gift anyone could ask for, I was so touched by it.

“I’m so happy Shane and a group of his mates went up there.

“I hope they can all be put up eventually, weather disrupted the last one going up I believe.

“When Jan built the cairn I was completely overjoyed and I was so grateful, it was such a lovely thing to do.

“Losing my son was one of the worst things in my life and it’s something a parent should never have to go through.”

A nearby bench, which was made by Cloughfold residents to enjoy the hill views, was smashed up and burnt by vandals a few days before the cairns near Hurdles Farm were knocked down.

The building of cairns date back to prehistoric times when the stone monuments were constructed to remember well-liked people in communities.

Mr Czugalinski made Lancashire Telegraph headlines in 2010 after he built an 18ft snowman in Bacup Road, Cloughfold.

When the towers were knocked down, Mr Czugalinski said he did not know if he could rebuild them himself.

He said: “Each of the towers took around nine hours to build. With a child on the way and the bad weather coming I do not know if I could rebuild them.”