REPLACING stolen ornamental gates from a Middlesbrough cemetery proved to be a waste of time when they were found a couple of hours later.

The original gates that the ornamental ones replaced were put back in place at Linthorpe Cemetery after thieves removed the decorative gates less than 24 hours after they were installed, late last month.

Two weeks later they were found abandoned in an alleyway.

The slightly damaged gates were dumped behind shops at Bolckow Road, in Grangetown.

Staff from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, who were monitoring the area for fly-tipping, discovered them on Tuesday, only hours after the original gates had been put back in place.

Councillor Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council's executive member for community safety, said: "We'd like to thank the vigilance of the council staff in retrieving these valuable and artistic gates.

"We were concerned that the gates would never be recovered, but now this feature can be restored to its rightful place."

The ornate, galvanised steel gates, worth more than £5,000, were put up at the Roman Road entrance to Linthorpe Cemetery on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 28.

But when staff arrived for work at 7.30am the following day the gates were missing.

The three-metre by one-and-a-half metre gates were designed by a local artist and depicted flowers and trees.

The blacksmith, James Godbold of Egton, will be collecting the gates in the next few days and the first indications are that minor repairs and a repaint will be needed.

Councillor Bob Stanway, the council's member for environmental improvement, said: "I was absolutely disgusted when I heard the gates had been stolen, particularly because public money had financed such a fine project.

"Now I'm delighted that our own regime against fly-tipping and the clearance of the rubbish has resulted in such a wonderful find. If we find out the identities of whoever dumped these gates, we will prosecute."

The cemetery was opened in 1869, although part of the site was used as a Quaker burial ground from 1668.

It covers 52 acres and is the oldest working cemetery in Middlesbrough, with 50,000 graves.

It is the largest single area of woodland in the town, and features a network of paths providing pedestrian access between local housing areas and the town centre