A HEATH in Christchurch that was ravaged by flames last month faced further damage after a van suspected to have been used in a ram-raid was dumped on the land, with fears it was about to be torched.

Burton Common, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, was “minutes away from an environmental disaster” according to landowners the Meyrick Estate.

Last week,

ram-raiders used a digger to smash down a wall and steal a cashpoint machine at the Windmill Service Station on the A338 Salisbury Road near Ringwood

.

The following day, police were called after a dog walker discovered a Ford Transit van had been ditched on Burton Common. The roof of the abandoned vehicle had been removed. While officers were examining the van, a four-by-four reportedly “loaded with cans of petrol” parked up on the land, arousing suspicions criminals were about to set light to the van to destroy evidence.

“The occupants must have spotted the police and just ditched this vehicle that was fully loaded with petrol and ran off,” estate manager Liam Aggett said.

“If they had got up to the common and set fire to the vehicle, which was obviously their intention, the whole common would have gone up in flames,” he said.

“Having already lost a tenth of the common to fire earlier in the year, another one would have been a total catastrophe for the flora and fauna of the area.

“The common is also linked to the wider New Forest habitat on the opposite side of the road, so if the fire spread to that we would have been in all sorts of trouble.”

Both the Transit van and the four-by-four were taken away for investigation.

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesperson said they could not comment on the possible link of the vehicles to the ram-raid.

“Investigations are continuing and no arrests have been made at this time.”

In April, around 11 acres of the 100-acre common was destroyed in a fire. The heathland, which is home to ground-nesting birds and protected reptile species, is “very ecologically important”, Mr Aggett said, and another blaze could “devastate the entire site”.

As well as the fire, the common has been a target for fly-tipping and other anti-social behaviour, such as people speeding around the site on motorbikes. However, there had been an increase in incidents recently due to the warmer weather and lighter evenings, Mr Aggett said.

“People’s enjoyment of this beautiful site is being ruined by those who illegally use it.

“We’re quite concerned about the level of nuisance and degradation of the site. We’re hoping to work with Hampshire Constabulary and all stakeholders to make sure the area isn’t damaged further. We need to protect this land as it’s incredibly important.

“We have extensive fly-tipping issues. There are almost weekly incidents. The estate spends several thousand pounds a year to clear up the fly-tips,” he said.