Recently repaired castle ruins targeted by vandals

Work to repair Wallingford Castle in 2023 cost about £283,000

The remains of a medieval castle that recently underwent major repairs have been targeted by vandals, a council has said.

Wallingford Castle in Oxfordshire was saved from ruin in 2023 following a grant of almost £300,000 from Historic England.

But since the work was completed people have been seen damaging the monument, according to Wallingford Town Council.

The vandals were caught on camera within hours of new CCTV being installed at the site, the authority added.

People were caught on CCTV damaging the castle remains

Built in the wake of the Norman invasion under William the Conqueror, the castle is thought to date back to 1067.

Mayor of Wallingford Town Council Daniel Beauchamp said the reparations had now been "somewhat undone", with stones having been removed and thrown off the ruin.

"We're finding some of the stones that have been repaired on the ground and the big risk here is having done all this work and raised all that funding, we're not going to get that funding again."

"We had one shot to get this right and we want to make sure it stays as it is."

The castle was on English Heritage's At Risk list before repairs were made

The council has since installed extra security measures in an effort to find those causing the damage.

Within five hours of the equipment being installed, the first images of vandals were captured, according to the security company uWatch.

The company's technical director, Norman Guiver, said: "The sensors will detect that someone's on the monument and it will tell the cameras to take the picture."

Further footage of people posing on the ruins was also filmed a day later.

Wallingford Town Council maintains the castle gardens and ruins

The council said it was dedicated to preserving the site's historical integrity.

A spokesperson said: "The recent acts of vandalism around the town are a stark reminder of the challenges we face in protecting our heritage.

"We urge the community to respect this valuable site and join us in our efforts to safeguard it for future generations."

The BBC has approached Thames Valley Police for further information.