VANDALS who went on the rampage in a churchyard at the weekend have desecrated dozens of graves.

Among final resting places wrecked by the mindless thugs was the grave of a young leukaemia victim.

The attack, believed to have been carried out by drunken youths, also led to the destruction of graves belonging to members of one of North Yorkshire's most famous aristocratic families.

The acts of vandalism at St Agatha's Church, at Easby, near Richmond, were condemned by church leaders yesterday.

Tombstones dating back to the 18th Century were so badly ruined in the rampage - which took place in the early hours of Saturday - that they are unlikely to ever be restored.

The vicar of Easby, the Reverend Ruth Wigram, said: "People are very distressed and angry, and so am I, that these people can go down to the ruins of Easby Abbey, which is such an attractive place, and cause this wanton destruction.

"They have caused a lot of relatives of these people very considerable distress. Our great concern is that people can just wilfully come in and vandalise a churchyard."

The family of the leukaemia victim, who was 18 when he died, did not want to be identified and were too upset to talk last night.

Churchwarden Michael Drury said: "The family had just finished mourning the first anniversary of his death and there were flowers on the grave, but they have been destroyed.

"There is an old cemetery and a new cemetery, and they have obviously gone rampaging around in both of them.

"Somewhere between 25 and 30 tombstones have been damaged.

"A lot of them were smashed because they were only made of one piece of stone and we just can't mend them. They included some of the family tombs of the Zetland family."

Lord Zetland, from the family's estate at Aske Hall, just outside Richmond, has been told of the vandalism to two family graves.

A police spokesman said several cans of drink had been found in the area and investigations were continuing.