Kate Wilson, inspector of ancient monuments for English Heritage North-East has called for action to stop arsonists on Eston Moor who are destroying the heather which protects archaeological sites. Trials bikes and off-road vehicles are also damaging the earthworks.
Detective Constable Trevor Smith, of Cleveland Police, who said: “By building a closer relationship with English Heritage, we can reduce the number of incidents of damage to scheduled monuments and, where necessary, secure convictions against those responsible for the damage.”
The organisations are also concerned that fences have been ripped up and used as bonfire fuel, while earlier this year two sheep were slaughtered and one farmer’s cattle were stampeded through a neighbour’s crops.
Police recently seized an air rifle, an axe, a 6in combat knife and lock knives from rival gangs of children camping around landmark rocky outcrop Eston Nab in groups of up to 40. Over one weekend last summer, Cleveland Police rounded up 22 teenagers, with an average age of 14, of whom six were armed.
full article at
thisisthenortheast.co.uk/the_north_east/teesside/news/NEWS0.html
Having spent 7 years turning Eston Moor into a financially-self sufficient ecological and archaeological open space, I am disappointed in the reports I'm now hearing about the lack of effort up there. "Covered with off-roaders" was last year's comment from a contractor. Management minimal, interest almost zero.
A sign of the times.