A nature reserve warden today condemned teenage vandals who smashed a bird watcher's hide to pieces.

And he has revealed that he has high hopes that the vandals will face police action - because their antics were caught on video.

Every panel of the converted shed was ruined in the wrecking spree, committed by a gang of teenagers still wearing their school uniforms.

The hide on Two Tree Island, Leigh, was put up by volunteers of the Essex Wildlife Trust and will probably never be replaced, because it would cost too much.

Volunteer warden Steve Brown said: "Someone down there happened to have a video camera, and filmed the whole thing.

"They spent a happy couple of hours jumping up and down on the roof, smashing the walls, breaking glass, and throwing the contents of the hide into the lagoon."

Mr Brown added: "It was heartbreaking to go down there and see it. I am gutted, and my volunteers are as well.

"It was built by volunteer labour last year to replace an old hide. To build another you are looking at £900, plus time to put it up, and that's nearly three times my annual budget."

The video tape has been passed to Leigh Police. Officers say they will watch it carefully.

In ruins - assistant volunteer warden Clive Dunmow surveys the damage

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.