A 20 FOOT tall scarecrow affixed to a massive wooden cross which caused outrage among Christians in Billericay has been burned down.
The giant scarecrow in a "Messianic" pose was destroyed in flames after being set alight twice last Thursday. The charred remains of the 20 foot crop protector were discovered by workers at Barleylands Farm Park on Friday morning.
This follows controversy in and around Billericay over the scarecrow seemingly mounted on a huge cross which was assembled in the first week of lent.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze on Barleylands Road at 11:23 on Thursday, February 21 and they described the fire as deliberate. The fire was extinguished by five fire fighters within 17 minutes but at 12:10am the crew were called out for a second time.
The scarecrow has been set alight again and the remains were finally extinguished by 12:26am.
David Finkle, general manager at Barleylands Farm Park and Craft Village, helped to make the scarecrow and its smaller equivalent to promote the farm's half term activities for children. The scarecrow took a team of four people two days to make.
Mr Finkle said: "There's nothing left of the scarecrow but there's an element of me which isn't surprised.
"We rolled in on Friday morning to see the scorched, blackened remains and our hearts sank - we're bitterly disappointed. The fact that they returned back to set the scarecrow alight for a second time must have meant they had their mind set on destroying it.
"I spoke to the Crime Unit at Essex Police and they said it must have taken serious effort for the scarecrow to be reignited. All that remained in the morning was the plastic used to stuff the scarecrows head, the wooden cross made from a telegraph pole and the smaller scarecrow."
The Farm Park has since removed the smaller scarecrow which was not burnt down but stood next to the larger one.
