YOUNG vandals have been blamed for setting a fire that destroyed a ‘nature reserve’ tended to by a family for decades.

New Marske man Michael Tucker fondly remembers working with his late father to transform a plot of private land in the village into a peaceful haven for wildlife.

Over the years, he developed the site to the point where it has attracted barn owls, deer, ducks and other creatures, while giving his family somewhere to enjoy nature.

Sadly, the picturesque area – which had a pond, sheds and areas for birds to roost – has been significantly damaged after a fire tore through it on Saturday night.

Mr Tucker was celebrating his birthday when his daughter called to tell him about the blaze, prompting him to rush to the scene, following in the wake of firefighters.

The fire was visible across the skies of New Marske and the surrounding area, leading members of the public to believe that nearby Errington Woods was ablaze.

Mr Tucker, who thanked firefighters for their efforts in containing the blaze and preventing it from spreading further, believes anti-social youngsters are to blame for setting the fire and has contacted the police.

He said: “This land has been in my family for a lot of years and in the past we’ve had a bit of damage caused but nothing like this, this is just over the top and I'm heartbroken, totally devastated.

“We have had a lot of wildlife there and I’m worried it won’t come back.

“The fire brigade got there straight away and did what they could, they managed to control it from spreading and they did great work but it's just heartbreaking. I remember building the sheds with my dad in 1980 and the place means a lot to me.

“I’m trying to make the site safe but I’m in my 60s now and it’s hard work I could do without.

“There’s a group of young people that have been causing problems around the area for a while and causing anti-social behaviour.

“I think they’re around 14 to 18 years old and the worrying thing is that they’re teenagers now – what will they be doing in five or six years?”

Anyone with information about the fire, which was reported at around 8.15pm on Saturday, April 26, should contact police on non-emergency number 101.