A COASTAL beauty spot has been hit by fly-tippers and vandals, causing about £10,000 worth of damage.
Information boards have been destroyed, a limestone wall dismantled and more than 50 bags of household rubbish tipped at Denemouth, near Blackhall, in east Durham.
Denemouth is part of Castle Eden Dene National Reserve, which is managed by English Nature.
It has been the subject of a long-term project by the Turning the Tide Partnership to provide footpaths, information signs, new walls and bridges.
Sue Antrobus, English Nature's community liaison officer for the site, said: "A community-spirited member of the public reported the details of the vehicle tipping the waste.
"We are now working with the police, Environment Agency and Easington District Council to catch the culprits.
"We are appealing to anyone visiting the site on Saturday, August 18, or Sunday 19, who may have seen this incident, or the damage to the signs and wall, to contact Peterlee police station, or English Nature.
"The damage is particularly distressing to local people, who have worked as volunteers on cleaning up the site."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Rob Lamboll of English Nature, on 0191-586 0004, or Peterlee police, on 0191-586 2621.
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