Residents of a North Tyne village have been left in shock after a new seat offering ‘panoramic views’ disappeared.

The bench in Bellingham, which offered views over Dunterley Fell, was placed on the footpath from Hillside to Hareshaw Linn as a replacement for a previous bench which was destroyed by vandals.

The new bench was installed by Councillor Martin Dickson-Green and his husband Ben, who concreted it around 2 feet deep into the ground. Nevertheless, the bench has only lasted a matter of weeks.

Cllr Dickson-Green said: “We didn’t want to spend a fortune in view of what had happened to the previous one, but we didn’t expect it to disappear straight away.

"It’s probably in somebody’s garden or it’s been chucked down a hill.

“We are trying to make the village nice and deliver facilities to people. It’s disappointing and it spoils it for everyone else when something like this happens.”

Bellingham Parish Council voted to install the simple bench last year, as it is a popular resting spot for those walking in the area, however, it remains to be seen if the Parish Council will provide another replacement.

Cllr Dickson-Green said: “We need to decide whether to replace it again at the next parish meeting. It’s all about time and cost, so how many times do we replace it if it just keeps on disappearing?”