Vandal attacks include bizarre shrine to the star of Only Fools and Horses
POLICE are searching for the people responsible for graffiti which was spray-painted at a Derbyshire beauty spot.
Officers from Derbyshire Rural Crime Team are looking for the people behind the vandalism of Higger Tor, near Hathersage.
The culprits at Higger Tor left a series of graffiti tags on rocks at the site, regularly featured in photos of the Peak District and a site of Special Scientific Interest.
Officers are also looking into a separate incident of vandalism which saw a bizarre shrine to Sir David Jason set up in the ruins of Sutton Scarsdale Hall.
In this incident, the people responsible pulled down a fence to gain access to the site of the Grade I-listed building, and left behind flowers and a copy of the Only Fools and Horses actor’s autobiography. In a post on its Facebook page, Derbyshire Rural Crime Team poked fun at the discovery of the shrine.
It wrote: “Being Rural Crime Officers, we sometimes find ourselves dealing with strange incidents – yesterday was no exception.
“As autumn approaches and we see a Touch of Frost returning to the hills of Derbyshire we are planning for the season ahead. Our office will be Open All Hours and the coming months will no doubt see us encounter a few
Fools and Horses on our travels. The change of season acts as a Trigger for those who commit hunting and poaching offences and so we urge you to contact us should you see anything untoward or suspicious. We are Reliant on the public to report suspicious activities to us and to stay vigilant when in our rural areas.”
However, it insisted that although it might bring a smile to the face to think about it, it is still an offence.
It wrote: “Now we can all appreciate David Jason’s work but can we ask people not to break into listed sites to show this admiration.
“If you have any information about the David Jason super fan please get in touch.”
It added that the vandalism at Higger Tor was a more serious offence. It wrote: “Higger Tor is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and such any damage to the area is treated more seriously. If anyone recognises the ‘tags’ please get in touch with us or contact Crimestoppers to report it anonymously.”