'Youths' have vandalised a 40-year-old monument, rolling a huge set of metal wheels through a park in Bolton.
Security brackets that held the wheel in place in Station Park in Horwich have been ripped apart on Wednesday, say local councillors.
The wheel, which honours Horwich's railway heritage, was then rolled away from its plinth. Residents confused as to how the vandals moved the heavy monument.
Bolton Council clean up teams have been out to rescue the wheels, which were left near a gate to the park. The wheels will be back in place when it is fitted with new brackets.
Residents and local leaders have expressed how dangerous the stunt was, saying someone could have been injured.
"It’s safe to say the security brackets which held the wheels in place were not in good condition," said Horwich town councillor David Grant.
"It was disappointing that some youths took advantage of that to push the wheels from the tracks, not just because of the damage and disrespect to the historic past of our town but more importantly this stunt could have gone very wrong and thankfully nobody was hurt.
"Whilst residents have been very vocal on what happened I would like to reflect the positives of residents dropped everything and joined Councillor Coward and myself to secure the wheels back onto the track until the morning.
"Neighbourhood services have now confirmed they have recovered the wheels which will be cleaned and repainted before being returned for a further 40 years."
