A MASSIVE igloo built in Verulamium park by a group of five young men was knocked to pieces by a pair of young vandals. The five mates who built it were gutted when the youths struck on Friday night. Adrian Barlow, 30, of Chequer Street, St Albans, gave c

A MASSIVE igloo built in Verulamium park by a group of five young men was knocked to pieces by a pair of young vandals.

The five mates who built it were gutted when the youths struck on Friday night.

Adrian Barlow, 30, of Chequer Street, St Albans, gave chase as they ran away and caught one of them but released him when he realised he was only 15 years old.

He said: "I did lecture him on how much pleasure he had taken away from us and all the people who stopped to admire it."

Adrian and his mates Shane Biggs, Aron Pallett, Mark Flanagan and Craig Ward are all builders and gardeners who were snowed off work during the recent bad weather.

The lads had spent around a week building the large igloo which caused quite a stir among the thousands of visitors to St Albans passing through the park.

The first igloo they made was smashed up by vandals in the middle of the night so they stood sentry by their creation after that - and even slept there at night.

The second time it happened was when Adrian left his post briefly to walk over to the Fighting Cocks pub to change his socks.

As he walked back he saw the two youngsters running away and gave chase.

Adrian said: "It's so sad. We were just on the point of finishing it and had almost got the roof on. It was such a talking point and the children especially just loved it."

Adrian is now hoping for more snow.

He said: "I don't know if I'd have the heart to do it all over again though and my girlfriend Georgia Merritt would probably dump me because she's fed up of being an igloo widow.