VANDALISM of Hatherleigh's agricultural heritage monument for the second time in two years has angered town residents.

The monument, which was one of the first art projects to be awarded European funding in 1995, was plastered in fluorescent green paint overnight on March 24 and the culprits have not yet been found.

Mayor of the town Dennis Bater said the local community was appalled by the vandalism and public spirited residents had spent hours cleaning it off.

Two years ago the monument was subject to vandalism when the heads of two farmers, who are standing over a pen of sheep, were broken off.

'As a community we are getting fed up with this mindless vandalism — there is a lot of it going on in Hatherleigh at the moment and people really feel like they want to take the matter into their own hands.'

He said the art sculpture, which cost £5,000, was very special to the town as it signified what Hatherleigh was all about.

'It really is lovely and I for one am very angry that somebody can do something like this — luckily people did not need to be asked to clean it — that is how strongly they feel about it,' he added.