FAIRY houses, put together by a local woman and placed on the banks of the River Foss, have been damaged and stolen.

Tracy Ostle, from York, put together the small fairy houses after coming up with the idea during the first national lockdown - to help “improve” the area.

Tracy said: “I found some fairy doors put on trees down by the river Foss on a little walk way. I used to go down when I was 16.

“I had started to walk down there during early days of the lockdown very early on a morning.”

Tracy started off by making the ‘Nut Hut’ for some of the local squirrels - and her project escalated from there.

“I enjoyed making the Nut Hut so much I continued to make more different houses, giving them to friends and family as gifts.

“I found myself with a garage full of them. For a bit more fun, I put them down the river

“We are aiming to produce a family friendly walk and communal area to be enjoyed by everyone”, Tracy added.

Tracy said the whole things had a positive response after a Facebook group was set up - which led to an “explosion” of interest.

However, the fairy trail set up by Tracy has recently been hit by vandals and thieves - who have both damaged and stolen them.

Tracy said: “A number of the houses have been completely smashed or thrown into the river.

“It’s heartbreaking for the little children who love to go down the trail to see the houses and then find them broken or floating in the river.”

Thirty per cent of the houses were smashed the week before Easter, when Tracy held a treasure hunt for families - which raised £105 for the Island Charity.

Tracy has informed the police of these incidents and they continue to investigate.