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Railway pioneer’s lavatory wrecked by vandals

The outdoor earth closet, colloquially known as 'nettie', belongs to Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon.

It is in the grounds of the house built for steam pioneer Timothy Hackworth in 1825.

Vandals struck between 4pm on Saturday, February 11 and 9.45am on the following Monday.

The vandals tore off the roof and pulled up the wooden boards that users of the lavatory would have sat upon.

They also pushed over a large mangle which has been turned into a flower pot.

Museum manager Dr George Muirhead described the damage as “mindless”.

Hackworth, who helped create the world’s first public steam railway, the Stockton & Darlington, lived in the house for 30 years with his six daughters, two sons, two servants and family pets.

A police spokesman appealed for information and said: “It is particularly distressing when it is part of a museum that is treasured by so many people and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

“We would urge anyone with information to come forward.”