CALLS have been made to clean up a church-owned landmark which has become a late-night drink and drugs den for teenagers dabbling in the occult.

The Count's House - in the shadow of Durham Cathedral on the banks of the River Wear - is daubed in graffiti referring to drug use, sex acts and Satanism.

One disturbing message reads "We are legion" - a reference to the name adopted by followers of the devil.

Pentagons, a symbol of black magic, can also be seen on the walls of the 200-year-old Grade-II listed building, near Prebends Bridge.

Drug-use debris and broken bottles litter the area, and fires started inside have burnt a hole through the roof.

The house is owned by Durham Cathedral, where discussions are under way to tackle the problem.

Legend has it that the house belonged to Polish Count Joseph Borulawski, a dwarf, who settled in Durham in the 1790s.

It is a popular feature on the local tourist trail and is described in a guide to the city's river banks as a "pretty, pillared building".

Local groups want to see it cleaned up and brought back into use to deter vandals and drug users.

City of Durham Trust vice-chairwoman Janet Murrell said: "We are very sad to see it deteriorate so badly and we would like to see it conserved and made safe.

"There may even be a case for calling the police in, but because it's in such an isolated area it's probably very hard to patrol."

Jon Williams, land agent for Durham Cathedral, said one solution could be to return the house to residential use.

He added that its roof has been replaced three times in ten years, but has fallen prey to vandals each time.

A Durham Police spokesman said: "If any official complaints are made to us then we will certainly follow it up.