Vandals who set fire to cats' eyes in the middle of a busy road put motorists' lives in danger, police said yesterday.

Four sets of the safety devices were set alight on the B6278, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, at the weekend.

One driver, Peter Henderson, called police after seeing flames shooting a foot high on the road at Whistle Crag, between Eggleston and Middleton in Teesdale.

The rubber surrounds of one was still burning when a police car arrived shortly after 1am on Saturday.

Officers used a fire extinguisher to quell the flames.

Mr Henderson, a joiner from Eggleston, said: "I got a shock when I saw flames in the middle of the road. They were shooting from two cats' eyes. My fiancee got into a panic. I slowed to pass them and then saw another two on fire.

"This is a fast stretch of road and is often busy. Any driver could have panicked, swerved and crashed.

"I think the culprits must have used petrol or something like that to get the rubber surrounds to burn. I didn't see anybody in the area."

Inspector Kevin Tuck, of Barnard Castle police, said, "There could well have been a dreadful accident."

Several acts of vandalism were reported in Eggleston on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday. Hooligans ran over the tops of several parked cars, causing dents, and smashed a house window.

Insp Tuck said: "It is likely that the people who did this also set fire to the cats' eyes.

"I urge anyone who saw them in the village, or acting suspiciously on the road, to contact the police station."

Anyone with information is asked to call (01833) 637328.