PARENTS have been urged to monitor the whereabouts of their children after a spate of vandalism in a quiet North Yorkshire village.

Gilling West, near Richmond, is not usually plagued by problems in the summer holidays but recently youngsters have found their way into the local sewage works and tampered with the controls.

As a result, effluent has not been flowing as it should and there has been a potential for serious damage to the machinery.

"So far, the culprits haven't caused that much of a problem but the cost of repairs is already around £500," said village beat bobby, PC Paul Lax.

"Yorkshire Water will be doing its bit to improve security and I will certainly be keeping a close eye on the area but it would also help enormously if parents could make sure they know where their children are during the day.

"We have to remember what could happen if someone fell into one of the sewage pits. The last thing we want is to find we are dealing with a tragedy."

A number of car doors have also been super-glued along with the electronic controls outside a house with automatic gates.

"Until now, I've often told people how little we have to deal with in Gilling West," said PC Lax.

"Perhaps I spoke too soon, but we have to work together to put a stop to this sort of thing."