THERE are fears a serene wildlife haven could be ruined by cruel yobs.

These pictures show the aftermath of fire damage at Pity Beck, which is tucked away off Thornton Road in Allerton.

The spot is popular with dog walkers, but friends Sheila Britton and Nadine Seery have hit out at vandals who they say are setting fires and causing a nuisance with quad bikes.

The pair have also been spurred on to arrange a clean-up of the area after becoming dismayed by the sea of litter piling up.

Nadine, 65, said many different animals, from frogs and birds to deer and weasels, have been spotted, but she fears this could change if the attacks continue.

She said the fires have hit areas where birds are nesting, plus the habitat of frogs, toads and newts which had spawned.

She said: "They are going to end up getting rid of them all.

"It's getting worse - I've never known it this bad.

"They are just ruining it all for everybody. They've obviously got no compassion or respect for nature or the surrounding area.

"I'm disgusted and angry.

"Where the fires have been set, it's just a horrible black mess.

"It's dreadful."

She claimed that deer have even been chased by people on quad bikes.

"They don't know how lucky they are to have something like that on their doorstep," said Nadine.

"When I first moved around here and started going down there, I saw the deer every day.

"There were lots and lots and they are just diminishing every year."

She added: "They need to get these idiots. They are causing so much damage."

Her fellow dog walker Sheila, 65, who lives in Thornton and visits the spot on a daily basis, added: "I just feel disgusted at what they are doing, there's no respect for wildlife and countryside.

"Do they realise what they are doing?

"It's just a game to them. A lot of dog walkers can't believe what's going on."

She described the fires as leaving big black patches of land and believes those responsible in causing the misery are youngsters.

"It's so disappointing," she said. "It's such a shame, they are just destroying it.

"It's a beautiful area - it's like another world down there."

Another bugbear is the amount of rubbish which is being left, which Sheila says is like a "sea of plastic bottles", but it's hoped the clean-up will make some inroads.