A COWLING resident has branded those responsible for ripping off and stealing marker signs installed to help people enjoy walks around Silsden as "pathetic".

Allan Friswell devised the eight Silsden Strolls, complete with waymarker roundels highlighting the routes, which were purchased through grants totalling £1,000.

But he said that only weeks after the roundels were first put in place, they were already being torn from their mountings and stolen.

West Riding Ramblers, Keighley Rotary Club, Sovereign Health Charitable Trust and Keighley Community Chest all contributed towards the cost of the scheme.

Mr Friswell said: "Funding for the damaged waymarks has been provided by local charities. The police have been notified and are treating the matter as theft – a criminal case.

"This is something that was set up for the whole community to enjoy, so I can't understand why anyone would want to do something like this. It's pathetic.

"This person is depriving the people of Silsden of something worthwhile – not just me.

"One local landowner is so incensed by this he's put up a £50 reward for information leading to apprehension and conviction."

Mr Friswell said the plastic, customised waymarkers had been expensive to buy and install, adding about 350 were meant to be in place.

"I first noticed they were going missing about three weeks ago," he added.

"Someone has obviously gone to a lot of time, effort and trouble to remove them. It wouldn't have been at all easy to lever them off.

"Some were fixed on with industrial glue and others had been nailed on.

"The whole selling point of these strolls is that they have been waymarked on the ground so people can find their way around easily.

"So far, there are eight strolls and they've been a great success. There will be nine strolls once the Silsden Circle route is added. I've had a lot of positive feedback about the project.

"However, someone has completely taken against it for some reason. I've no idea why. It's just astonishing."

He said the vandal had also attacked some of Bradford Council's own pathway marker signs, as well as the Silsden Strolls roundels.

Mr Friswell last year came up with the idea of compiling leaflets to showcase short circular walks using the many miles of public footpaths in Silsden.

He became interested in the town after surveying its footpaths for the West Riding Ramblers.

Mr Friswell said Silsden offered a better prospect for walks than his home village due to its varied network of paths.

Anyone with information on the waymarker thefts is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police via the 101 non-emergency number.