Police appeal after bird hide destroyed

Officers are appealing for information after a bird hide was repeatedly vandalised at a nature reserve in Stafford.

Police were called at 1.10pm on Sunday 11 April to Doxey Marshes following reports of criminal damage.

Officers attended and a small concrete bird hide had reportedly been kicked – causing significant damage to its concrete pillars.

Police were called again at 9.30am on Sunday 25 April to the same location.

On this occasion, attending officers found the bird hide completely destroyed, with the wooden roof of the structure demolished.

Chief Inspector Giles Parsons, of Stafford Borough Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT), said: “‘It is sad that a bird hide belonging to the Wildlife Trust has been damaged in this way. 

“We are investigating the matter and I would encourage anyone with information regarding the persons responsible to come forward. 

“We do regularly patrol the area and where we identify people involved in damage or other anti-social behaviour, we will take positive action.”

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the charity which owns and manages Doxey Marshes and 30 other nature reserves in Staffordshire, has been informed and is also investigating.

Senior Conservation Manager at the Trust, Jeff Sim, said: “We're really disappointed for our visitors to Doxey Marshes that this has happened.

“As a charity looking after 31 nature reserves across the county, we will have to divert funds away from our conservation work to tidy up the destroyed hide.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Staffordshire Police on Facebook, Twitter, or call 101 quoting incident number 201 of 25 April.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you would like to make a donation to help rebuild the hide and maintain other sites, visit The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s fundraising page at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/protectourreserves.