VANDALS who defaced a 'stay local' sign at Cross Hills have been accused of showing contempt for people's lives.

The sign had been placed alongside the A629 to encourage people not to travel outside the area during lockdown.

North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which represents the county’s key agencies tackling the Covid-19 virus, condemned the vandalism.

Similar road signs have been erected across the county urging people to stay at home to save lives.

Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said: “We would like to thank the majority of people who are sticking to the lockdown rules and respecting the measures we are putting in place to stop the spread.

“It’s very disappointing to hear such acts of vandalism are happening and that a minority of people aren’t taking seriously the great danger to life that the virus poses. In central and western parts of the county, up to 70 per cent of new Covid infections are attributed to the variant.

“In North Yorkshire more than 30 people have died from Covid-19 in the last week alone, taking the total number of North Yorkshire deaths to 841. Now that we have a vaccine there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the roll-out will take time."

Superintendent Mike Walker, North Yorkshire Police lead for the force’s Covid-19 response, said: “It’s disappointing to see that, while the majority of residents are sticking to the rules and staying at home, someone has chosen to go out of their way to vandalise a sign which has been placed with the intention of keeping them safe and stopping the spread of a deadly disease.

“I realise a minority of people may be feeling tired of seeing coronavirus messages or feeling frustrated about being asked to stay at home. It’s not the way any of us would choose to live our life under normal circumstances. However, that does not give anyone the right to deface a sign which warns the wider community of the risk of catching a virus.

“Despite the red paint that has been daubed all over the sign, or the intention of the person who damaged it, the message has not been obscured or changed – to protect the NHS and save lives we all must stay home and only make essential journeys, and when we do leave home, stay local."