MINDLESS vandals have defaced a popular nature-viewing shelter at the Black Devon Wetlands.

Last Wednesday, sickened staff turned up to the site to discover graffiti tags scrawled all over the wooden boards, some of which had been replaced because they had been booted out in a previous incident.

Staff have been left gutted at the act of thuggery, which comes just five months after the viewing area was installed so that locals and tourists could sit and watch the wildlife in the nature reserve.

Assistant warden of the Forth Reserves Hannah Sharratt told the Advertiser: “I got here on Wednesday afternoon after being here on the Tuesday. Clearly, one or more people had been here overnight and had sprayed various things over the boards.

“The plot was completed around February time and only recently, since the schools finished, have we seen any trouble. A few weeks ago, some of the wooden boards were kicked out and broken off.

“We reported it to the police and they came round and had a look. They’ve been very helpful and have told us to report anything we see or that happens. They understood that we’re a charity, so any damage has to be repaired at our own expense, unfortunately.

“The money we have should really be going to helping wildlife so it’s really disappointing from that point of view.”

The site is run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and includes areas of untouched wet grassland and wetland including freshwater pools, brackish pools and reedbeds.

The site is important for the area’s large flocks of wintering wading birds and wildfowl. Birdwatchers and nature novices alike use the conservation. It is this community feel which upsets Hannah particularly.

She said: “All the work we have done on the site has been really well received, so it's disappointing that there’s the odd individual who wants to take it away from everyone else.

“It was gutting actually, when we discovered it. We’ve just put so much work in to give the local community a nice place to watch wildlife. It has been quite a big project in the area so it felt like someone had defiled all our hard work.

“We think the damage is around £600-£700 to replace all of the wood. It is a lot of money for us. All the work we do is funded by the RSPB but we’re a charity so the budget is tight. Having to pay for something we’ve already paid for is not great.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Police in Forth Valley are investigating following a vandalism at the Black Devon Wetlands near Alloa.

“The incident happened between 4pm on Tuesday, July 18, and 2.30pm on Wednesday, July 19.

“Enquiries are currently ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 2304 of July 19.”