East Cleveland coastal mental health signs destroyed

Signs along a costal path which offer support to people struggling with their mental health are being damaged and destroyed.

Paul Waugh came up with the idea in East Cleveland six years ago and he believed the messages written on them had saved lives.

But he said the stones have been replaced more than 70 times due to vandals smashing or throwing them away.

Mr Waugh said: “I’m doing it for people that are having problems. If you don’t like them, just walk by.”

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He said he had often seen people distressed and had chatted to some of them.

“When I’m not here, I hope [the signs] can help someone. And they have done, many times,” he added.

Mr Waugh, who pays for the signs himself which he described a “hope stones”, said they did not originally have anything written on them.

“They did so well that I started adding messages to them, that people could read,” he told BBC Radio Tees.

He said he had received messages from people who thanked him for the support they offered.

Mr Waugh said more than 70 of the signs had been smashed or thrown away over the years and he has had to replace them.

“I get upset about it – but they’re not for me, I’m doing it for people that are having problems. If you don’t like them, just walk by.”

The BBC has approached Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for a comment.