VANDALS are causing hundreds of pounds of damage by targeting school crossing patrol lights.

Youths have been smashing the light bulbs in the warning equipment or tampering with the workings so that flashing lights stay on throughout the night.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council said that it receives two or three reports of damage each week.

Iin an attempt to combat the problem, the authority is carrying out a month-long trial of a light made by a Shropshire-based company.

The lights, each costing £365, have a stronger casing and the light bulb is replaced with an LED unit. It is also hoped that vandals will be unable to set off the flashing light.

The council's road safety manager, Mike Hall, is asking members of the public to be vigilant and to report anyone seen damaging any of these columns to the police or to the council.

"They are an important part of protection for schoolchildren, especially in the darker mornings and a warning to motorists," Mr Hall said.

"I'm sure lots of people must have wondered why these flashing lights were on all night - and the answer is difficult to believe, too.

"Children have discovered how to switch them on permanently, but again we hope this new unit will eradicate that problem."

The council's member for strategic planning, development and infrastructure, Eric Empson, said: "This sort of vandalism beggars belief and it cannot be allowed to continue.

"It's difficult to find any possible reason for this kind of vandalism.

"It's putting the safety of children at risk - though it could be those same young people who are responsible for the damage and we would ask parents to impress upon their children that these lights are there for their protection."