Ancaster Valley: Rubbish dumped and trees cut at reserve

Tyres and household items have been dumped at the site

Vandals have dumped rubbish and cut trees that are hundreds of years old at a nature reserve in Lincolnshire.

Police believe the "substantial damage" at Ancaster Valley, near Grantham, has happened in the past two weeks.

Tyres, wood and household items have been dumped there and branches have been cut from trees.

The area is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning an unlimited fine can be handed to anyone causing intentional damage.

Lincolnshire Police said the penalty up until 2015 was a fine of up to £20,000 but that has now changed, giving the courts the power to give any fine.

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The area is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act

Det Con Aaron Flint said: "These sites are extremely fragile and highly vulnerable to damage.

"We will be working closely with Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust to identify the offenders and bring them to justice.

"This is not only a mindless and selfish act of vandalism but also a serious crime against our environment.

Rachel Shaw, from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, added: "This is a senseless act of vandalism to a wonderful nature reserve.

"It's also a drain on our resources as it's likely to be costly to remove, and, most concerning of all, the damage to the trees and shrubs will have a long term impact."

Anyone with information is urged to contact police.