White Moss gates sawn off in 'peculiar' vandalism case
- Published
Some of the gates had been attacked with "some kind of power saw"
Mysterious vandalism is perplexing rangers in the Lake District National park.
Gates across paths in the White Moss area near Grasmere have been ripped off their hinges and, in some cases, sawn off and thrown in the river.
Nearby land, paths and walls have also been damaged.
Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) ranger David Switzer said it was "very, very peculiar" and they were "really at a loss".
Missing gates were first reported in mid-November and later found in the River Rothay.
"We managed to fish those out and reinstate them and we thought maybe this was a one-off incident," Mr Switzer said.
"Since then we've had a number of further attacks to those gates, culminating in the latest one, just two nights ago, where two of the gates had been completely sawn off with some kind of power saw."
Some of the gates were found in the River Rothay
The LDNPA said the gates had been there for "quite a long time" and, although some were newly replaced, they were not in new positions.
They were "quite substantial" and would take at least two people to move, Mr Switzer said.
Although, in the past, gates had sometimes been removed and burned by "wild campers" those recently targeted had been taken off and hidden, he said.
"It's a very bizarre case," he added.
The authority has made an appeal on social media for anyone with information to contact them or police.
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The land is owned by the LDNPA although adjacent land, including the White Moss car park, is owned by the Lowther family estate.