A MASSIVE blaze on the banks of the Droitwich barge canal has destroyed most of a local wildlife haven.

The fire, which was first reported at 3.40pm on Wednesday, April 22, saw 30 foot high flames sweep through 75 per cent of the Coney Meadow Reed Bed, which is home to a variety of birds, reptiles and mammals.

Fire crews from Droitwich and Redditch attended the blaze near Salwarpe, using hose reel jets to douse the flames, which spread quickly through the area thanks to weeks of dry weather.

The Canal and River Trust which manages the reed bed, has said that a bird watcher is believed to have stopped a group of children from starting a fire at the reed beds several weeks ago, and it believes as a result that the fire was probably started intentionally, despite the lack of any witnesses.

Coming in the middle of nesting season, the fire will have a terrible impact on some of the county’s rarest birds, including grasshopper warblers, water rails, reed buntings and cuckoos, as well as destroying the natural habitat for a number of species such as grass snakes, slow worms and field voles, as well as making life difficult for other species using the site including otters, bats and a barn owl.

The site was established in 2008 by the Canal and River Trust as part of the restoration of the Droitwich canals, and has proven to be a popular visitor attraction.

Mark Robinson, ecologist at the Canal and River Trust, said: “We’re all devastated that this has happened, Coney Meadow Reed Bed is one of the most important habitats for wildlife in Worcestershire, and now most of it has been destroyed. We won’t know what the impact will be on wildlife in the area as a whole until next year, but what seems likely to have been a mindless action by someone has wiped out a generation for most of the animals that call the reed beds home.”

West Mercia Police also attended the fire, and whilst they are not currently treated the fire as a criminal investigation, they are asking that if anyone did witness anything suspicious in the area during the hours leading up to the fire, they should get in touch on the non-emergency number 101 quoting incident number 0402/S/220415.