A housebound retiree who planted trees outside his house and hung them with feeders and nesting boxes to attract a wealth of bird life has told of his horror after two mystery neighbours repeatedly hacked them down.

Bird lover Simon Mayne’s efforts soon saw his garden visited by an array of new avian visitors including woodpeckers, warblers and goldfinches – and he took delight in bird watching and photography, documenting his successes.

But then two mystery figures thought to be near neighbours began a disturbing hate campaign to spoil Simon’s carefully created bird garden while armed with an axe or saw.

The intruders – who have still not been identified even after police were alerted – would sneak into Simon’s garden by night, clad in hoodies to conceal their identity, then chop down the trees and destroy bird friendly fittings that he had so lovingly planted.

Simon, who lives in the Welsh cottage in the village of Plas Cae Llwyd, Llanbradach, Caerphilly, south Wales. with his wife Nassura and adult son, told MailOnline: ‘These vandals have made my life a misery.’

Bird lover Simon Mayne’s (pictured) efforts soon saw his garden visited by an array of new avian visitors including woodpeckers, warblers and goldfinches

Two mystery figures thought to be near neighbours began a disturbing hate campaign to spoil Simon’s carefully created bird garden while armed with an axe or saw.

The intruders would chop down the trees and destroy bird friendly fittings that he had so lovingly planted

After he stopped working, the former builder and bathroom fitter would spend hours watching the birds from his front windows and was starting to make a name for himself for his social media posts of the photographs he took of them.

More than two dozen varieties of bird were caught on camera and posted on the neighbourhood website, to the delight of many and Simon chronicled every arrival and shared his pleasure on every site from Facebook to Tiktok.

Some of the trees he inherited when he moved in, other trees and shrubs he added – as well as tables, nesting boxes and feeders to make the front garden a wildlife haven.

But a horrified Simon, 56, of Plas Cae Llwyd, Llanbradach, Caerphilly, south Wales, woke two years ago to find a large mature ornamental cherry tree – which had put on a stunning annual blossom display in spring – had been hacked down during the night.

Simon recalled: ‘I was distraught. The tree had been there for years and attracted so many birds to my garden that was like an ornithological oasis.

‘Then a neighbour came forward with a video he had captured which showed how it had happened: a hooded man sawing through the trunk in the middle of the night.

‘We couldn’t believe it.’

Simon has since become convinced that the vandals – who have now been captured on film attacking the garden twice – are neighbours who had become jealous of the popularity of his posts.

Simon called in the police after the second incident but the footage was considered insufficiently clear to identify a culprit – so the Welsh village where he’s based continues to wonder who did it.

Simon has since become convinced that the vandals – who have now been captured on film attacking the garden twice – are neighbours who had become jealous of the popularity of his posts

Simon woke two years ago to find a large mature ornamental cherry tree – which had put on a stunning annual blossom display in spring – had been hacked down during the night

Simon, 56, of Plas Cae Llwyd, Llanbradach, Caerphilly, south Wales, would spend hours watching the birds from his front windows and was starting to make a name for himself for his social media posts of the photographs he took of them

Neighbours rallied to the family’s support and bought Simon a bird table to replace the cherry tree while the local council planted a sapling, to replace the mature tree, which was large enough to house a new bird box.

Within months, however, the bird table had also been vandalised, the bird box ripped down and branches on the new tree violently ripped off in the night.

Then this month the hate campaign escalated again.

At the end of last week, Simon found a Japanese Maple under his kitchen window had been sawn off after the stem.

Two days later two figures in hoodies were again caught on a neighbour’s security camera with one carrying a saw that glinted in the moonlight.

‘I’ve had to relocate all my bird feeders to the back garden. It’s a bit cramped, but at least they are left alone there,’ explained Simon, who is on disability benefits for physiological nerve damage to his legs and no longer works or gets out much.

The attacks haven’t scared all bird life away however – his feeding efforts front and back continue to attract a variety of birds.

Simon said: ‘My kitchen gives on to the front garden and birds come on t the window sill to eat seed I put in the tree outside.

‘I’ve taken some lovely pictures from there. I’ve always seen it as a blessing. But in the last fortnight things have got as bad as they have ever been.

‘Whoever’s doing this is obviously a neighbour. Somebody who knows me and hates birds and wildlife in general. A real sad case, basically.’

Simon continued: ‘He’s made my life a misery. Destroyed my front garden. My wife feels the same as me. This person needs help. Probably medication as well.

‘I’m a nervous wreck, and it’s also had an affect on my son.’

Simon called in the police after the second incident but the footage was considered insufficiently clear to identify a culprit – so the Welsh village where he’s based continues to wonder who did it

Simon has lived in the house (pictured) for 20 years and had no issues until 2022 when the first attack happened.

A neighbour, who did not want to give her name, said that the small community had been shocked by the continued attacks on wildlife and plants in Simon’s front garden

Simon put a feeder in the new sapling tree but within months this too was ripped down.

Simon has lived in the house for 20 years and had no issues until 2022 when the first attack happened.

The cherry that was first attacked was situated on a narrow strip of grass which runs in front of the terraced cottages where Simon lives, a step or two from the front door. It is now just a stump.

This meant that technically it was council-owned tree so it was they who supplied a replacement.

Simon put a feeder in the new sapling tree but within months this too was ripped down.

A free standing bird table was also vandalised in this second attack and branches on the replacement tree were also violently ripped off.

In the spring 2023 a feeder close to his kitchen window, by his willow tree, was thrown to the ground.

The most recent attacks, a week apart earlier this month, first saw a Japanese maple cut down then saw a failed attempt to chop down the willow.

His problems seem to have started around the time people began complimenting him on the pictures he was posting online of the birds he snapped which has led him to suspect the attacker is jealous.

Simon’s son Cian, 25, said he is fearful for his father’s safety and remains constantly worried that the violence might escalate from trees to an attack on them.

A neighbour, who did not want to give her name, said that the small community had been shocked by the continued attacks on wildlife and plants in Simon’s front garden.

She said: ‘This is a nice place to live. People are generally friendly and it’s a terrible surprise that something like this can happen.

Gwent Police have been approached for comment.