AS a keen bird watcher/photographer I use our local woodland (Lordswood) for the pursuit of my chosen hobby.

For years I have erected bird nesting boxes and taken photos from hides of these colourful creatures.

However, when visiting the site yesterday I discovered my hide completely destroyed and the nesting boxes torn from the trees. My hide I will not replace, I carry a portable one and will use this instead.

There is not a lot one can do about vandalism in this area as there is no police presence, but where the bird nest boxes are concerned, it is against the law to disturb any nesting site.

I could of course replace them but will the same thing happen again. I cannot for the life of me understand the mentality of these people who destroy all they see. If one cannot help nature surely there is no point in destroying what we already have.

The silly thing about all this is that nothing except a small folding seat was taken, the nesting boxes which were quite well made were wantonly destroyed and I was sorry to note that blue tits had already started their nests in them. We all realise these woodlands are plagued with young vandals who dump their un-licenced (and sometimes stolen) motor vehicles or burn them when they have finished rampaging around on them, but what has ever been done about it, absolutely nothing. A regular police patrol through these woodlands would seem to be the only solution to the ever present problem.

LA O'BEE, Lordswood.