Griff Rhys Jones: save our Victorian treasures from teen vandals

President of preservation society says councils are failing in duty to protect heritage as craze for exploring derelict buildings grows

Griff Rhys Jones, the president of the Victorian Society, has urged councils to protect derelict buildings that are of huge importance to Britain's industrial heritage. His intervention followed a surge in vandalism at such sites, triggered in part by the new-found popularity of exploring abandoned buildings.

Last month it emerged that Shotton steelworks in north Wales - one of the society's 10 most endangered buildings in 2018 - had been badly damaged. According to reports, vandals had knocked down partition walls, destroyed ornate panelling, and kicked in walls. Several fires had been lit and tiles thrown off the roof.