irreplaceable statues at a North-East country mansion have been vandalised beyond repair.

The three figures at the Grade II star-listed Lartington Hall, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, had their heads removed and taken away. A large vase was also smashed during the incident, which happened in the early hours of last Wednesday.

Robin Rackham, owner of the restored 400-year-old building, believes an attempt was made to steal the statues, but was foiled by the hall's sophisticated security system.

He said: "We've put in a very extensive security system and I think this was an attempt to beat it by doing the job in two or three minutes in a smash-and-grab raid.

"I think they tried to pull the statues off the wall but they couldn't do it so they smashed all the heads off.

"The statues are irreplaceable. What's annoying is that they've snapped the heads off and taken them with them out of wanton spite."

Mr Rackham, a retired airline pilot, took over the 45-roomed mansion in 1979.

He and his wife Claire have spent £400,000 of their own money, and more of English Heritage's, on restoring the building, which now has a recording studio, a squash court and gardens.

The statues are among 56 at the hall that were carved in the 1860s by artist Robert Borrowdale.

Two of the statues were stolen a few years ago, but security measures have been tightened up since then.

The figures are pinned down securely and Mr Rackham believes the heads were snapped off when the raiders realised they could not be removed.

A police spokesman said: "Since we can't be sure that the intention was to steal the statues, the incident has, for the moment, been recorded as criminal damage.

"Either way, they have been badly damaged by this act of vandalism and we would appeal to anyone who can help to ring the police or Crimestoppers."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Barnard Castle Police on (01833) 637328 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.