VILLAGERS have spoken of their anger at the desecration of a cemetery by fly-tippers who dumped a lorry load of rubbish in the grounds of a former churchyard.

Residents of Quarrington Hill, County Durham, spent years campaigning and working to tidy up the grounds of the St Paul's Church, which contains up to 260 gravestones, including three military graves.

On Saturday morning, they woke to find a large pile of rubbish had been tipped in the cemetery.

Billy Jones, 68, one of a group who worked to clear up the grounds, said: "I could not believe it - that someone could do something like this.

"It was obvious to them they were dumping in a cemetery. They drove through the old churchyard into the cemetery, damaging gateway columns on the way in.

"They drove right through the cemetery, with only inches to spare, between the gravestones, to tip out the rubbish.

"It must have been a big wagon, judging from the amount of rubbish that was left there."

Mr Jones, who has family and friends buried in the cemetery, said the rubbish consisted of lengths of cable from which the copper wire had been removed, privet cuttings, trees and bushes, pieces of wood and brick.

He added: "What makes it all the more infuriating was that it comes after a long campaign to clean up the cemetery. People in the village are heartbroken."

Mr Jones was one of several residents, aged from 50 to 80, who mounted the campaign six years ago to restore the grounds. The church was demolished more than a decade ago.

The grounds had become a wilderness and the group decided to take matters in hand and got permission from the War Graves Commission to tend to the military graves as well.

With support from the village's youth club, which gave money for a strimmer and help from members, they organised a clean-up.

Following further campaigning, Durham City Council agreed last year to maintain the yard.

Durham City Council ward councillor John Hepplewhite said last night efforts were being made to trace those responsible.

He said: "It is a particular shame, as the locals had put such a great deal of work into making what was a dilapidated cemetery into something the community can be proud of."