ONLY weeks after it was officially unveiled a unique four-faced clock has been vandalised in an East Durham seaside town.

The ornamental clock, topped with crab-shaped weather vane was seen as the crowning touch in a £1.2m revamp of Seaham's spruced-up promenade.

Hailed as a fine work of art, the clock tower in North Railway Street has had one of its quartet of faces smashed and an expert has been called in to carry out the repairs.

In a second spate of vandalism, 11 out of 13 benches were daubed with silver paint at Noses Point, near the former Dawdon Colliery site.

Anyone with any information about the vandal attacks should contact Seaham police on 0191-581 2255.