AN unusual piece of pavement artwork on a busy high street has been prised out and stolen by thieves.

Two bronze discs were taken from the pavement in Church Street, Seaham.

The value of the two plaques, about two-and-a-half feet in diameter, is not known.

They were installed when the street was given a £350,000 facelift in 1997.

The plaques were part of a set of four, with artwork representing elements of the history and the culture of the town.

One of the discs contained images of wildlife and flora from the area, while the other, with a mining theme, was designed by children from Camden Square Infants School.

Councillor Dan Myers said: "It is a tragedy, when you think of the work the schoolchildren all put in.

"The plaques were quite beautiful."

Durham County Council, as the highways authority, is responsible for Church Street.

Northern area engineer for the council's environment services Dave Wilcox said: "We have carried out work to temporarily fill the holes left in the pavement after the plaques were taken, and we will be sitting down with our partners to discuss our options.

"One of the issues we need to consider is whether any possible replacements should be set in the pavement, or if an alternative and more secure method of displaying them needs to be found."