THREE nineteenth century statues which stand in the grounds of a Teesdale mansion have been vandalised beyond repair.

The owner of Lartington Hall, Robin Rackham, believes the damage was done by thieves thwarted by the sophisticated security system at the grade II* listed building. The figures, carved by artist Robert Borrowdale, are securely pinned down following the theft of two statues a number of years ago.

"I think whoever did this tried to pull them off the wall, but when they couldn't they vandalised them and took the heads out of spite," said Mr Rackham, a retired airline pilot who has spent £400,000 of his own money on restoring the 400-year-old hall. Since the earlier theft, he has tightened up security measures and installed CCTV. But he feels this was an attempt to beat the system by doing a quick smash and grab raid.

Unsure as to whether the intention was to steal the statues, police have, for the moment, recorded the incident as criminal damage. But Mr Rackham is determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I want to catch whoever did this, which is why I have gone public," he said. "If I find out who is responsible, I am prepared to pursue the matter through the civil courts."

In the meantime, anyone who has any information about the incident, in which a large vase was also smashed, is asked to contact Barnard Castle police on 01833 637328 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.