A fire which destroyed part of a reed bed at a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Kent is thought to have been started deliberately, police have said.

The blaze broke out at Pegwell Bay, in Ramsgate, on Sunday evening and was described by local environmentalist Nik Mitchell as “devastating”, especially as it happened during nesting season.

In a video posted on his Get Wild social media page, Mitchell said that the fire had left a 300m (984ft) scar across the land.

Kent Police said an arson investigation was under way.

“There’s probably about three acres of burnt reed bed there,” Mitchell said.

“There would have been loads of nesting birds in there and lots of nest building – it’s devastating.”

The reed beds are used by warblers and reed buntings, which nest in early spring.

Mitchell added that Kent Fire & Rescue Service (KFRS) had done “an incredible job” of putting the fire out and limiting the damage, but was concerned people would start using the damaged area as a footpath, which would prevent the reed bed from growing back.

Emma Waller, senior planning & policy officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, called Pegwell Bay “one of the most sensitive and important coastal sites in Kent”.

“Its saltmarsh is an irreplaceable habitat that supports rare species and underpins the functioning of the wider ecosystem,” she added.

“What is increasingly concerning is that this is not isolated. We are seeing rising disturbance across other Kent Wildlife Trust reserves, from antisocial behaviour through to recreational pressures that are becoming harder for wildlife to withstand.

“We have recently had to remove our herd of Highland cattle from Hothfield Heathlands Nature Reserve following viral social media content that led to people actively approaching wildlife.”

In a statement, Kent Police said: “We were called to separate reports of bins being set alight in Cliffsend, including at Pegwell Bay Nature and Chapmans Fields, at about 20:30 BST on Sunday.

“The fires were extinguished each time by KFRS with no reported injuries. Officers attended the scene and an arson investigation is ongoing.”

A KFRS spokesperson said that it had been called to reports of marshland alight on Sandwich Road, Ramsgate.

“Three fire engines attended, and crews used main jets and hose reel jets to extinguish the flames,” they added.

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