LIBRARY staff are being terrorised by vandals who have waged a relentless campaign against the branch in Willington.

Police are urging the public to help them catch the trouble-makers who have broken every window at the library in the past few weeks, using catapults, blocks of ice and brute force to smash the large panes of glass.

Senior library assistant Allison Brooks had said earlier in the year that the library was targeted most weekends.

But in the past month the problem has escalated, and the building has been broken into twice and windows have been broken eight times.

She said: "It is quite serious really. It is happening every few days. The library is mostly glass on the outside. We have huge windows.

"Last night, they were throwing things at the window while we were inside. It was extremely frightening. They were throwing solid blocks of ice at the windows, which was incredible because there was no ice around here. They had to go and find some.

"They used to break the windows with a catapult, but more recently they have just been kicking them in.

"It is unnerving, coming in on a morning, wondering what will have happened. There is no particular reason to target us, they are just doing it for kicks."

Ms Brooks said library users, as well as staff, were fed-up with the destruction.

"The public are really upset about it all. They think it is dreadful. It doesn't look very nice when you come in the library and it is boarded up and there is glass everywhere.

"Sometimes parts of the library have to be closed off so police can take footprints."

Durham County Council pays for the repairs. With each pane of glass costing between £180 and £300, the bill is mounting.

Detective Sergeant Kieran Reed, of Crook police, said: "Obviously the library is there for the good of the whole community, so we would urge anyone who knows about the damage to get in touch with us and put an end to it once and for all, otherwise it will just go on."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Crook police on (01388) 762011