A hospital ParkingEye camera has been cut down.
The camera, at South Tyneside District Hospital, is used to help fine patients and staff who park without properly paying.
However someone used what is thought to be a hacksaw to remove it on Wednesday.
Northumbria Police is investigating the "totally unacceptable" vandalism, with a spokesperson adding: “At 6.45am on Wednesday we received a report of damage to a CCTV camera at South Tyneside District Hospital in South Shields.
“It was reported that an individual had caused extensive damage to a ‘Parking Eye’ camera before making off from the scene.
“Intentional acts of criminal damage are totally unacceptable and robust action will be taken against anybody found to be involved.
ChronicleLive contacted the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the hospital, but it did not respond.
Staff usually have to pay to park there during their shift, with money deducted from their wage.
It is understood that those charges will be waived from April 1 for at least three months as workers battle the coronavirus. Visiting was restricted this week to help with the spread of the killer virus.
Over the past decade, ParkingEye has been used by several NHS trusts to operate hospital car parks.
It claims it has helped deliver a "positive, dramatic improvement to existing services".
A ParkingEye spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident of vandalism at the site and our team are working with the relevant police authorities to investigate and resolve the issue.”
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police on the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the force's website quoting log 90 250320.
