Middle aged vandal caught on CCTV

THE police are hunting a middle aged vandal who they believe is responsible for destroying canalside signs.

A number of signs have been torn down and thrown away around Barton under Needwood on the Trent & Mersey Canal, and now they have a man caught on CCTV in the act, and want to interview him.

In the camera footage, the suspect, wearing a raincoat, appeared to be carrying something away, looking like a sign, which had been ripped from its pole.

A British Waterways spokesman tells that six signs had been vandalised in the area within a few months, relating:

"Money has to be found from other budgets to replace these signs and it's despicable that this individual appears to have gone along and deliberately damaged the signs for a reason that is not clear."

Vandalism and theft of signage is an ongoing problem for us throughout the canal and river network."

Anyone with any information about the identity of the suspect is asked to telephone Staffordshire Police on 0300 1234455 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.