A CAFE boss has begun patrolling castle grounds with a camera in an attempt to ward off vandals who have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Wynn Moorhouse, proprietor of the Bowling Green Cafe at Clitheroe Castle, has taken action after a weekend wrecking spree.

And angry Clitheroe Mayor John McGowan says the parents of vandals should be made to cough up cash for repairs. Wreckers caused more than £1,000 worth of damage when they destroyed wooden benches, broke lights, dug up the bowling green and smashed dozens of beer bottles.

They caused further damage when they attempted to dig up the bowling green with tools taken from a nearby building site.

In a separate incident, stones were hurled from the castle keep on to elderly strollers below.

"I can't say in public what I feel for these people. I am absolutely appalled," said Coun McGowan. " I really don't know what the answer is, but it can't go on any longer. These mindless youths must be brought to book and their parents made to pay for the damage.

"I feel sorry for the citizens of this town who have to put up with this. Something has to be done."

Mrs Moorhouse has revealed she regularly cleans up syringes, condoms and faeces from the bowling green.

And now she has taken to patrolling the castle grounds with a camera in an attempt to catch the culprits.

"It has been absolutely dreadful. These yobs tried to set fire to the bowling green changing room three times and we recently found a Stop sign from a nearby building site on the green itself. I regularly clean up syringes, condoms and faeces.

"The council has just splashed out on new benches, but they won't last two minutes. It's getting so bad that I have started keeping watch myself with a camera. Something has got to be done, before it gets out of control," she said.

A spokesman for Clitheroe Police said vandalism in the castle grounds was being investigated.

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