VANDALS have been blamed for lighting a fire on a renovated 127-year-old rail footbridge and breaking into a station building.

The arson is reportedly the latest in a string of “multiple vandalism attempts” on the Grade II-listed St Mary’s footbridge in Lydney since it was reinstalled over the Dean Forest Railway three weeks ago, following a seven-month £150,000 upgrade.

Four joggers spotted the small bonfire, which had been ignited on the central span of the footbridge, last Thursday evening (January 24) and managed to put it out.

The bridge, linking Bathurst Park and Lydney Boating Lake, was closed to pedestrians on safety grounds for a decade before being dismantled and taken away for restoration, and was only reopened to walkers last week.

Jogger Nicola Whettham, 44, and three of her friends decided to run over the bridge they used to cross to get to school when they spotted an “odd light” and saw the pile of burning wood and cardboard.

Luckily they managed to kick the fire apart and stamp it out before it caused any real damage, but DFR volunteers say they are shocked by the action of a handful of “mindless idiots.”

And to rub salt into their wounds, 24 hours later the toilet block at Lydney Junction Station was broken into and vandalised.

Adam Williams posted on the Official DFR Society Facebook page: “I’ve had to spend my morning closing the recently refurbished footbridge at St Mary’s that crosses the Dean Forest Railway because of multiple vandalism attempts since the bridge was put back in a few weeks ago.”

But someone later commented that people were back on the bridge and the barriers were “adrift.”

DFR spokesman Rob Harris said: “After all the hard work that we and our colleagues with the Lydney company Maybey Bridge have invested into restoring St Mary’s footbridge and re-establishing the footpath which crosses it, we find it unbelievable that mindless idiots could ruin the joy that we and so many other Lydney people had found in the bridge’s return.

“We have contacted Nicola Whettam to invite her and a companion as VIP guests to the ceremonial re-opening of the bridge on March 9. Meanwhile the Dean Forest Railway Society has gratefully given her a year’s free membership.

“In light of this arson attack we are urgently reviewing our security measures and the vandalism at our Junction southern terminus makes this all the more necessary.”

He added: “At the railway, we are proud to be one of the Forest’s major tourist attractions, creating spin-off revenues for many other businesses close to us and we have great plans with our partners in the Forest to extend northwards to Speech House and to Cinderford.

“We have a New Volunteers Day coming up on March 23. Everyone will be welcome – including repentant vandals who might like to spend their time more gainfully.”

The town has been hit by a spate of vandalism and criminal damage in recent months, which comes amid a row over youth facilities.

Zac Arnold, youth officer for the Forest of Dean Labour Party, condemned the bridge attack “suspected to have been committed by young people.”

“This is the latest in a series of acts of mindless vandalism across the town in recent years.

“These acts must be condemned wholeheartedly and in the strongest of terms, but, simultaneously we must realise that these acts are committed by a very small minority of individuals and we must work together to find a solution.”

He said young people had been “left feeling isolated and attacked as a result of persistent cuts.”

“In order to stop acts like this, we must build a strong and constructive relationship with all parties, work to take our young people off the streets and provide them with the services and facilities they need to thrive and take pride in the community they live in,” he added.

He said Labour will continue to campaign for dedicated outdoor and indoor spaces for young people to socialise and give them something to do.