STAFF at a South Lakeland nature reserve have been left 'dismayed and shocked' after vandals attacked a sign worth almost £1,000.

Paul Waterhouse, reserves officer at Meathop Moss Nature Reserve explained that earlier this week he had found a welcome sign pulled out of the ground and one of its legs broken.

"This was a new interpretation sign that we put in place less than a year ago, at a cost of almost £1,000, with funding from SUEZ Communities Trust," he said. "This isn’t the first time that vandals have targeted the reserve. Within the last year a watering trough, used by the cattle grazing on our land was stolen, as were some of our tools. The police have been informed, but we’re at a loss as to why anyone would behave in such a wantonly destructive way at this important wildlife site, which large numbers of people enjoy visiting every year."

The discovery comes just two weeks after Cumbria Wildlife Trust called for people to have more respect for Cumbria’s wild places, following the trespass by the driver of a Land Rover which got stuck in the sands off South Walney Nature Reserve.