VANDALS marked the birthday of the late Princess Diana by smashing a York man's shrine to her memory.

David Sykes was deeply distressed when bricks were hurled through the front windows of his home, in St Bridget Court, Clementhorpe, smashing plates and wrecking pictures which were lovingly arranged there as a tribute.

Mr Sykes, 52, an epileptic, was nearly hit by the missiles and later suffered a minor fit he blames on the attack.

He compared those responsible to "grave robbers", describing them as being filled either with drink or hate.

It is the second time that his shrine has been smashed, the first being four years ago at the time of Diana's death, when sick vandals shattered his windows with brush handles.

Mr Sykes's weekend was already a poignant one as yesterday would have been Diana's 40th birthday.

Mr Sykes said the bricks were thrown through his window in the early hours of the morning while he was sleeping on the sofa - something which he often does to avoid having to negotiate the stairs in the event that he has an attack of epilepsy.

He said: "I was sleeping and suddenly I heard a crash. The window had been put through and I got up to start clearing it up.

"Then another brick came through the other window and just missed my head. It could have killed me. It really shook me up.

"It caused me horrendous stress. I went to a car boot sale in the morning with my dogs and had a small epileptic fit.

"What happened must have brought it on. I had to get people to attend to me."

Mr Sykes said the attack was probably partially due to jealousy. Many people who pass his house knock on his door to express how touched they are by his window-based shrine.

He also thought that those responsible may have been under the misapprehension that he received payment for interviews in the media regarding his shrine to the princess.

But he added that the culprits must "have it in" for Diana and also for him, possibly because he is disabled through epilepsy.

"I don't like some pop stars, but if I see pictures of them in people's windows I don't smash them.

"It's like grave-robbing, like smashing a grave. I am deeply disturbed that somebody could do this.

"They must have had drink in or hate in them."

Mr Sykes said that selling some of his possessions would be the only way to replace some of the Diana plates and damaged curtains, which belonged to his late mother.

"A lot of people have respect for what I've done. They walk past and say how lovely it is.

"But this has really shaken me up," he said.

Anyone who can help with the investigation should ring York police on 01904 631321.

Updated: 11:42 Monday, July 02, 2001