HISTORIC stone safety markers have been replaced on a swampy moor top.

A plaque commemorating the reinstatement of the six 'stoups' will be officially unveiled by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's deputy mayor, Councillor Ann Higgins, at the top of Birk Brow today.

The plaque, explaining the stones' role as marker posts for a safe path across the boggy moor, completes a partnership with local Rotarians.

The 'Six Stoups' appear on old maps and have been a landmark for hundreds of years.

But accidents and thefts had reduced the three pairs of standing stones to just one replacement and one truncated original.

That was until the council and Guisborough and Great Ayton Rotary Club joined forces to recreate the landmark, using old field gate posts.

An appeal by the Rotary Club turned up five replacement stones, which the council's highways partner, Alfred McAlpine, helped put in place.

Local farmer Chris Thompson donated two stones, Nic Armstrong, of Heritage Stone, at Guisborough, gave a third, as well as donating a large rock on which the plaque is fixed. The council supplied the final two stones.

Councillor Graham Jeffrey, the council's cabinet member for rural affairs, said: "This is an excellent example of partnership working that has helped restore a historic local feature in one of the borough's characteristic moorland areas."

Rotary Club president Mark Hards commented: "This was a golden opportunity for the Rotary Club to restore a little of the district's heritage, and to commemorate the centenary of the worldwide network of Rotary Clubs. We are most grateful to everyone who has donated stones and assisted with the project."