DEVELOPERS at the centre of a controversial planning dispute have threatened to come down hard on vandals who they claim have been damaging their property.

Weymouth house builder Betterment Properties says the fence to its land at Markham and Little Francis has been cut three times.

And signs warning the land is private have been ripped out, a spokesman for Betterment said.

Nearly £1,000-worth of damage has been done at the site, the spokesman added.

Now company bosses say they will be seeking a prosecution if the culprits are caught.

Betterment managing director John Loosemore said: "Where we have put fences up people appear to have been cutting them. They have also stolen some metal signs which say that the property is private."

Mr Loosemore said that repairing the damage would take two labourers a whole day.

"It's happened in three different places. The fences have been cut and the stakes pinched. The metal signs have gone completely.

"If the police catch anyone we will be supporting a prosecution. It's nothing to do with nature conservation or the village green, it's pure vandalism," he said.

PC Daniel Kitton of West Weymouth police appealed for anyone with information about the damage to contact him on 01305 767474. He said: "We are aware that this is a controversial issue at the moment, but these people are breaking the law.

"It has gone through all the planning regulations and the company has the legal right to fence off its areas.

"There are still designated areas for the public to use.

"Each time any property is damaged an offence is being committed," he said.

The founder of the Markham and Little Francis Action Group, Aly Pepperpot, - who has been campaigning against the development - condemned the vandalism.

She said: "Obviously it's nothing to do with our group.

"We're staying this side of the law and trying to fight this fairly and squarely."

Mrs Pepperpot said while she couldn't condone the action, she thought the sheer frustration that some people were.