STAFF at Launceston Castle were shocked to find items in the castle grounds had been damaged for the second time in three months.
Keith Robson, English Heritage Visitor Operations Manager, explained that two interpretation signs — that inform the public of the history of the castle — were broken and dislodged from their anchorings at around 1.30am on Saturday.
Launceston Police said CCTV footage appears to show two men damaging the panels. Other members of the public are also seen on the footage, and it is believed that they may have witnessed the incident.
Keith added: "There was somebody walking through at that time, and they could possibly have known the people that did it."
The posts are not repairable, and although they were due to be replaced in the future, the damage has brought the replacement forward.
The new posts, however, won't be put into place until next year, which Keith felt was a shame for visitors, who will now not be able to get the information that has previously been displayed.
The incident was reported to the police and officers are carrying out an investigation and examining the CCTV footage.
The damage has not been the only problem for staff, as during the recent spell of good weather, there have been concerns about people drinking alcohol on the site and leaving their rubbish.
"Every morning it's been taking me and the staff about an hour to clear up the cans and bottles," added Keith. "Hopefully now the police will step up their patrols."
He said it was upsetting for staff to discover the damage. "They do care about the site and the people of the town care about the site as well. When they arrive in the morning, they don't know what they're going to find."
If anyone has any information relating to the incident, please contact the police on 08452 777444 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, quoting reference number BL/09/860.