THORNY hedges have proved a novel way of stopping graffiti vandals who were plaguing a York nature reserve.

Visitors to the Hob Moor reserve were often confronted with graffiti on the back of a line of garages bordering the 90-acre site.

So York nature reserves officer Stephen Whittaker arranged for a team of volunteers to plant 300 native shrubs at the base of the buildings, protected by a post and wire fence.

He said the hedge has not only provided a natural screen, but added valuable habitats for a variety of species of animals that live on the nature reserve.

"The back of garages was just a blank canvas for vandals. Now we have got the hedge up and it's looking good. The leaves have started to come through and it should form a good barrier," he said.

"Hob Moor is 90 acres of grassland and is a very uniform habitat. When we include hedges around the outside we get much more diversity."

Mr Whittaker said he now hopes to plant another 450 metres of hedge at Hob Moor to replace deteriorating hedges and to screen other ugly boundaries.

The work will be paid for by the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward committee.

He said students from the University of York, members of Friends of Hob Moor and tree wardens had helped to plant the hedgerows.

Stock-proof fences have also been put up to protect small trees from animals such as rabbits, cattle and dogs, he said.

The ingenious move came after York Police announced a clampdown on graffiti vandals. Rewards of up to £1,000 have been offered to people who can put a name to several prolific culprits.

Officers revealed a "top ten" of the work of the worst offenders in the city and asked anyone with information to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The Evening Press-backed campaign has already enjoyed some success. Police were actively following several leads from callers and expect to make several arrests.

Earlier this week, vandal Alan Crosby, who admitted causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to buildings across the city, was ordered by a court to spend 200 hours cleaning them up.

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, April 14, 2005