Memorial dedicated TT legend Joey Dunlop vandalised in Estonia

A memorial dedicated to the late great Joey Dunlop in Tallinn has been vandalised with tributes and memorabilia placed at the site stolen.

The legendary road racer - who still holds the record for the most number of victories achieved on the Isle of Man TT with 26 successes achieved around the Mountain Course - died in an accident while competing in the Estonian capital in 2000.

As well as a memorial set up in his native Northern Ireland, a place of tribute was also erected in Tallinn, drawing visitors from around the world to also pay their respects.

"The memorial itself is untouched, but the personal things that make this a holy ground have been vandalised," said Allan Amelijusenko, organiser of the Joey Dunlop memorial ride, told the BBC.

"We contacted the police and hopefully we will find the person who has done this. We might not find them but we are doing our best."

An investigation has been opened by local police, with Amelijusenko saying an announcement has been made for people to spot whether any items stolen appear on the internet for sale.

“Everyone is pretty angry, devastated actually. Everyone is wondering why somebody would do this," he added.

"As we have deep snow in Estonia right now, those things might be under the snow close to that area so we are crossing our fingers and trying to keep the hope up that if the snow goes, we will have a search party around this place and find most of it, some of it or even find some clues.

"Some things there had some money value so things might turn up on the internet so we did an announcement, showed the pictures before and after, so if you see any of the stuff on the internet then please contact your community or let us know."

Plans are also being drawn up to discuss how to make the memorial, which is protected under local law, more accessible and more secure in future.