Police hunting vandals who caused £10,000 worth of damage to a historic north-east rail project have issued a fresh appeal to find those responsible.
Vandals last week targeted the 1950s-era carriage being refurbished by the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society.
The double-glazed windows of the coach were smashed using bricks and stones at the West Lodge yard, close to Hill of Banchory, on Monday, August 10.
Sergeant Julie Stephen of the Banchory community policing team yesterday issued a plea for information on the incident to bring the vandals to justice.
She said three teenage boys, possibly from Banchory, are thought to be behind the destruction of the carriage.
Sgt Stephen added that officers would be using all the tools at their disposal – including scouring social media – to find the vandals.
She said: “It is quite shocking given the value of the damage. £10,000 is a lot of money and because it is a volunteer organisation as well they haven’t got the funds to pay for that. That is a huge amount.
“It is just a mindless act, I don’t know why anyone thinks it is a great to pass an evening that way.
“We have had a good response from the public in relation to the incident, now we are looking for as much information as we can get and are looking to target anyone who knows anything, even if they think it is not relevant – and to let us decide what is relevant.
“I suspect it is local youths. There are some lines of inquiry that we are going on.
“There is a public footpath that runs at the back of this railway line and it is right across the road from the A93.”
The railway group is based at Milton of Crathes station, where the society has constructed one mile of the historic Royal Deeside track towards Banchory.
The Deeside Railway carriage repair appeal can be found at www.deeside-railway.co.uk.
The group is also seeking volunteers to join its crew of 50, and people can get involved by contacting billhalliday32@btinternet.com or by visiting the Milton of Crathes station.
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.
