A £5000 footbridge over the River Ise has been vandalised within a week of its installation, and shocked Burton Latimer town councillors are offering a reward for any information that leads to the culprits.

The news was broken to members by Cllr Marion York on Tuesday. She said slogans had been daubed on the bridge within days of it being put up and the side rails had been kicked out within a week - putting children in danger of falling into the river.

The wooden bridge is part of the public right of way that cuts across the fields between Burton Latimer and Isham. Council chairman, Christopher Groome said: "It is a beautiful bridge that cost £5000 and there is no reason why it should not be there for 50 years. It is really appalling that everything has to be protected like Fort Knox these days to stop it being vandalised."

Members have agreed to offer a £10 reward for information leading to a conviction of the vandals. The council has also written to the county council asking for the damage to be repaired. The new bridge replaced the old one that eventually collapsed into the river after repeated vandal attacks.

Burton Latimer councillors had been calling for a replacement bridge a year earlier. As the Kettering Evening Telegraph reported on 7th May 1985;

Worried Councillors in Burton Latimer have called for urgent action over a decrepit footbridge they claim is a danger to childerns lives. County Hall has pledged to replace the bridge by the Autumn, but Burton Latimer Town Council want the work done as soon as possible before there is a serious accident or even a death.

The bridge is officially closed, and there is a bar across to prevent crossing, but Cllr Marion York believes this will not deter everyone. She said; "Some children are daredevils and their actions could easily cost them their lives. Mrs York said that some of the bridge had fallen into the River Ise, and the rest was decaying rapidly. Isham Parish Council are equally concerned about the state of the bridge and are due to raise the issue at the next meeting. Members of Burton Latimer Council plan to raise a petition to chivvy the county council into completing the work before the summer holiday.