A PROJECT to restore Wheathampstead's railway line suffered a major set-back this week when almost 20 tons of ballast was stolen.

For the last two years a team of volunteers has been working hard to bring the area off Station Road back into community use, after the track and platform lay lost under masses of vegetation for some 45 years.

However the project took a bad turn yesterday when 20 tons of ballast was stolen, just weeks after it was delivered.

Project leader David Johnston said: "This will cause us huge problems, because financially we won't be able to keep going. We will have to do more fundraising.

"We have been very lucky because Bam Nuttall, the contractors clearing the tracks near Luton, gave us the ballast and original track."

Wheathampstead railway was closed in 1965 and last year the first phase of the project, which incuded clearing the vegetation and implementing information sign boards for visitors, was completed in time for the stations 150th anniversary in September.

The restoration project forms part of the Wheathampstead Heritage Trail, which is due to be launched later this month.

Project volunteer Colin Tootil has spoke of his outrage after hearing the ballast was stolen. He added: "This is a tremendous setback for us. It's such an appaling thing that someone should come and help themnselves to something like this."