River Freshney life-saving equipment vandalism plea

The buoys were placed at Riverhead Square and the Garth Lane development

Lives are at risk after "mindless idiots" vandalised life-saving equipment on the side of a river, a council said.

Orange life rings along the river Freshney in Grimsby have been stolen or vandalised. One had been thrown in the water, said the council.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn said: "Those buoys are in place in case someone falls into the water."

Missing buoys cost money to replace and puts lives at risk, he said.

"If the buoys are damaged or missing when they're needed most, lives could be lost."

Council officers inspected the equipment earlier this week after reports of vandalism and found two buoys were missing, two had been vandalised, and another was in the water and had to be retrieved.

• More stories from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire