Activist upset by wildlife devastation caused by arson attacks

Dead snails killed by the grassland fires. Picture by Sarah Bingham

Sarah Bingham, community organiser with the Rotherham Federation of Communities — known as RotherFed — said she was upset to see dozens of dead snails at the Green Hill site in Parkgate.

The area, which is bordered by Barbers Avenue, Victoria Road, Infirmary Road and Williams Street, has been hit by a number of deliberate blazes recently.

She said: “I was visiting Green Hill and was shocked to see the landscape devasted by fire.

“The green space is home to wildlife including bees, bats, kestrels and possibly a pair of peregrine falcons.

“The majority of grassland has been eradicated on the top and sides of the hill and I found hundreds of snails that had been burnt alive.

“After speaking with some local residents, it looks like the fires have been started deliberately.

“It seems like there have been a few incidents, the last one being the Sunday just gone (Aug 5).

“We’re hoping to get a few community members together to see what can be done about it.”