Nature reserve hit by four nights of vandalism

5 hours ago

Eleanor MaslinEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

News image — A sign made for volunteer Malc Biggadike and his dog Sammy has been vandalised

Vernatt's Nature Reserve A composite image with a man in a gillet, green top, brown trousers and a cap and wearing gloves standing next to a 'Malc and Sammy's Orchard' sign in a field. Underneath the sign is a brown cocker spaniel with its tongue out. On the right is the same sign bent in half and laying on the floor. — A sign made for volunteer Malc Biggadike and his dog Sammy has been vandalised

Volunteers say they feel "helpless" after a nature reserve was vandalised on four consecutive nights.

Pete Boekestyn, founding volunteer of Vernatt's Nature Reserve in Spalding, said the vandalism was "some of the worst we've ever experienced".

Damage included fruit trees snapped in half, logs thrown around, bins emptied and a sign named after a volunteer being ripped and bent, he said.

"It's never the monetary value. It's the indignation for volunteers who work so hard," Boekestyn added.

After the reserve, owned by South Holland District Council, fell into "disrepair" nine years ago, Boekestyn said he volunteered along with other locals to tidy up the space and improve it.

Since then, they have installed bins at the site, planted an orchard, created a peace garden, and erected more than 60 nest boxes.

Vernatt's Nature Reserve A composite image of a snapped fruit tree in long grass on the left. On the right is a man in a blue high vis vest, brown boots and a green beanie standing up a ladder pressed against a tree. — Volunteer Pete Boekestyn says vandals have been "snapping fruit trees"

Boekestyn said he felt "totally gutted" that a sign he had made for volunteer Malc Biggadike and his cocker spaniel Sammy had been ripped off its post and bent.

He said it had "stood proudly for four years".

Biggadike has kept the orchard area tidy for more than nine years with his dog Sammy helping him pick up the litter.

While Sammy is now blind, Biggadike's younger spaniel Willow has learnt to help him pick up the litter.

The 75-year-old said: "I was sad when I saw it all gone. We walk round and keep it tidy and nice. It gets you down a bit."

'Helpless is the word'

Boekestyn said: "They've wrecked that much stuff, now all they've got left is to start snapping the fruit trees."

He said South Holland District Council had been "brilliant" in helping the volunteers, including buying them extra fruit trees and picket fencing for the peace garden.

Boekestyn said he believed the vandals were "youths" who were on their summer holidays and going to the reserve after dark.

He said: "Helpless is the word. Even me, I personally wouldn't want to go there after dark.

"We check in the morning it's all nice for people walking through there."

Boekestyn said the only resolution to the vandalism would be police or security paying an overnight visit to the site and catching the vandals.

"All our good work is quickly being undone," he added.

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