HOLES in one are usually welcome at golf courses, but there is one particular hole that staff at a York course are wishing would go away.

The hole first appeared in a small copse between the fourth and fifth fairways, on Heworth Golf Course, about a month ago.

Staff filled it in, but since then a mystery digger has returned at least four more times, digging the hole up and making it bigger on each visit.

It is now said to be two metres by three metres in size and "a couple of feet deep."

Chairman of the Greens, Dave Bell, said: "The course is patrolled by security staff every night, but obviously whoever is doing this is slipping in under cover of darkness.

"I find it very weird indeed. I've worked in golf for over fifteen years and I've never seen anything like this before. We have got the police involved now so hopefully we might get to the bottom of it soon."

Updated: 10:13 Tuesday, November 13, 2001