Residents are rallying round to help rebuild the Two Lads cairn in Rivington following several instances of vandalism.

The historical monument, said to be hundreds of years old, was dismantled by vandals over the weekend.

This isn’t the first time the cairn has been badly damaged. Five months ago volunteers tidied up the stones after they had been pulled apart by vandals.

Now a group has been established to rebuild the Two Lads using dry stone wall techniques to ensure the structure remains stable and less vulnerable to vandalism.

Karen Holroyd, whose uncle completed a lot of historical research into the area, created the Facebook group Saving Two Lads Rivington after she said she was 'fed up' of seeing the cairn vandalised.

She said: “I really do feel we should treasure the heritage of the area. We have a responsibility to look after the cairn, we don’t want to lose it to the passage of time.

“I think it would be fantastic to have it professionally restored, and it would be great to put up educational signs informing people of its historical significance.

“It’s part of the skyline of Horwich, when I was a child I always knew I was arriving home when I could see the Two Lads.”

The Rivington Heritage Trust does not currently oversee the Two Lads, however they said they would be happy to share their expertise.

Andy Suter, heritage programmes manager at the charity, said: “It’s frustrating for everybody, there’s a lot of people who love the area.

“Since the easing of lockdown we have noticed a lot more people visiting the area, and some do not respect it.

“There’s been a lot more anti-social behaviour, vandalism and trespassing, in fact the gate leading to Two Lads of George’s Lane has been rammed. But lots of people want to help, and we would be happy to provide guidance and supervision.

“We do need to speak with United Utilities to get permission as they own the land, subject to this we would donate our time and skills to help people."

“We have got the skills within out trust to take this on, and if there’s a desire to rebuild the cairn we will get involved.”

United Utilities have been contacted for comment.