Stoney Littleton Long Barrow daubed in red handprints

The damage was caused in early November, the English Heritage said

Vandals who daubed red handprints on a Neolithic monument may have damaged it permanently, heritage experts fear.

The 5,000 year-old Stoney Littleton Long Barrow in Wellow near Bath is thought to have been targeted in early November.

Properties curator, Win Scutt said: "This attack on its historic fabric is not only thoughtless, it is a crime."

English Heritage has said it is working with Avon and Somerset Police to find the perpetrators.

The burial chamber is one of finest and most accessible chambers of its kind, English Heritage said

Mr Scutt said: "Whilst our specialist team will be working to remove the graffiti, there is every chance it might have caused permanent damage to the stonework.

"The motivation behind a wanton attack like this is unthinkable, and we have been working Avon and Somerset Police to aid them in their investigations."

Red paint was used to make handprints around the stone monument

Stoney Littleton Long Barrow is one of the country's finest accessible examples of a Neolithic chambered tomb dating to about 3500 BC.