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The chalk grassland is a nationally important piece of habitat

Vandals have sprayed painted a huge smiley face onto Bonfire Knoll in the Barton Hills.

The unknown paint was discovered last Thursday (May 4) by lead warden Dean Elcome and is thought to have been sprayed on the northern side of the hill days before. The perpetrators left a pair of gloves at the scene after defacing the chalk grassland.

Dean said: “I feel angry and disheartened. I have put years of my time and effort into ensuring that the hills are kept in as good condition as possible.”

Pictured: The spray painted face on the slope

The area’s nature is significant, the damage to which is not yet known. A spokesperson for Natural England said: “The is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as well as a National Nature Reserve with a habitat of national importance for its chalk grassland.

“At the moment we don’t know the type of paint used or the effect it will have on the grassland species. The vandalism also has a significant visual impact on the site with it being visible from the local town.”

Rare plant species like pasque flower and field fleawort have been recorded on the hill, which could be affected. Dean explained: “It is a chemical in the environment. So everything that's been touched by that will inevitably die off. We don't know what the long-term effects are to the soil underneath.”

Dean added: “You leave an imprint upon the surface of the hillside, which might be visible for months and possibly years depending on how the vegetation copes.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Barton NNR Facebook page.

Anger as ‘extremely large’ smiley face painted onto Barton Hills