"MINDLESS vandals" have destroyed safety lights on Crickhowell bridge causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

The senseless act is the second in under two months on the bridge when three lights were smashed in November.

This second spate of vandalism, which took place over the festive season, has caused outrage among residents and local councillors who fought for the lights to be installed.

A spokesman from Powys County Council said, "The cost of installation was £12,000. In November three lights were vandalised which cost the council £2,000 to replace. The lights are LED and low energy so we had to order them in before we could replace them.

"Between the first damage and Christmas and New Year there has been another 10 vandalised which is going to cost £5,000. The vandalism has cost around £7,000 in total."

Crickhowell resident Wally Elliott said, "For years people in Crickhowell and Llangattock have urged that lights should be placed across the Crickhowell bridge to improve safety for pedestrians using the bridge during hours of darkness.

"Local councils pressed Powys County Council's highways department to meet these requests. Finally in early 2008 the money was found to erect the lights on the bridge and the work was completed. It was an expensive project.

"It is painful that all but one of the newly installed lights were destroyed by mindless vandals in one night. Not only did they destroy the light units but they also removed coping stones from the bridge, which is an ancient monument, in order to create tools in the pursuance of their senseless destruction. The debris was then dispatched into the River Usk below the bridge.

"Criminal damage is unfortunately a feature of criminal behaviour currently but in this case can be considered to be one of a very serious nature indeed, bearing in mind the scale of the damage caused and its impact on the safety of people who use it. The tax payer paid for the lighting system and it is the likes of you and I as taxpayers who will again foot the bill for the idiotic behaviour of the mindless few. This will not in any sense cause in the perpetrators a feeling of remorse, even if they could read, but it will serve to inform readers of the type of sick, destructive morons that roam our streets at night."

Any witnesses to the vandalism or anyone with information should contact PC Mark Keane, neighbourhood police constable on 0845 330 2000.