An ancient monument appears to have been damaged by fly-tippers using an off-road vehicle.
Gwent Police is investigating after a scheduled Bronze Age monument near Caerphilly received damaged by being driven over and a number of tyres, gas canisters and bags of rubbish were also dumped nearby. It is believed to have happened on Thursday, February 6.
Pictures of the mess and the destruction of the historic site, on a hillside between Machen and Wyllie, were taken by officers from Gwent Police Rural Crime Team.
Investigating officers confirmed that stones had been placed around the monument to try and stop vehicles accessing the site but this had not deterred the vandals.
The crime was highlighted in a tweet in which the officers said they were "disgusted and saddened" by the damage to the mound and that the fly-tipping shows " what some idiots think of our countryside". They believe the tyre tracks are from a 4x4 offroad-type vehicle.
The Rural Crime Team are now liaising with Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government, who are planning to visit the site to assess the damage to the mound. It will then be determined if an offence relating to the damage will be investigated alongside the fly-tipping.
Because the monument is a scheduled, or protected, site, it can be a criminal offence to cause serious damage to it.
A spokeswoman for Gwent Police confirmed that they are "investigating a crime of fly-tipping" at the site and that further charges relating to the mound will be added depending on Cadw's findings.
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 using ref: 469 from February 6, 2020.
