Vandals destroyed a community facility which was installed to teach residents about Witham's history.

Essex County Council installed one of its listening benches in Maldon Road Park, Witham, with the aim of giving residents' a glimpse into the past of the historic market town.

Funded by The National Lottery, the bench was unveiled in a central spot at the park as part of the Essex Record Office’s project You Are Hear: sound and a sense of place.

However just four months after it was unveiled, the bench has been destroyed and left completely unusable to the public.

Susan Barker, councillor responsible for culture, communities and customer, said: “We are disappointed to learn that the You Are Hear listening bench in Witham has been vandalised.

"As a result of the You Are Hear project, we preserve our local heritage, and it brings history to life.

"We are currently discussing potential new sites with Braintree District Council and Witham Town Council, and we hope to replace the bench as soon as possible.

"We would welcome suggestions from our residents on the new location in Witham.”

Clips on the bench included memories from Pinkham’s iconic glove factory, the opening of Bramston Road School which later became Maltings Academy, the old harness maker’s shop in Newland Street and memories of domestic services in Witham.

Similar benches have already been installed throughout Essex, including in Great Dunmow, Kelvedon and Coggeshall, however no reports of vandalism have been received.

For more information about the project, visit www.essexrecordofficeblog.co.uk/you-are-hear.

The recordings have also been digitised and are available at: www.soundcloud.com/essex-record-office.