VANDALS have desecrated a town's cemetery, leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak.

Fifteen graves in Redcar cemetery have been wrecked; headstones toppled over, crosses smashed and an angel marking the grave of a child buried in 1932, wrenched out of the ground.

Cleveland Police said they caught red-handed a 12-year-old boy knocking over a headstone and will be interviewing him and his sister.

A Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council spokesman said: "We are appalled and sickened that anyone would want to vandalise a cemetery.

"We can only support the police in their efforts to find those responsible for committing such vandalism. We hope there are people out there who witnessed what happened or have information to ensure that those responsible can be caught."

PC Les Rawson said: "We are aware of problems in graveyards and always check them as we pass. On this occasion diligence paid off."

Bereaved families whose graves may have been vandalised should contact the Redcar community police team on (01642) 302617.