The estate has been targeted by vandals

The 1.9m (6.3ft) high fence has been put up on the Amersham Road estate in Caversham, Reading, Berkshire.

Neighbourhood wardens were sent in to oversee the installation of the fence a second time after vandals pulled it down within minutes of it being set up.

Vandals have also started fires around Ian Mikardo Way and �25,000 worth of damage was caused to an empty home.

The Safer Reading Campaign paid for the �4,000 fence

The fence - designed to stop access from open fields to the houses on the estate - was installed after complaints were made by residents and their landlords, Ealing Family Housing Association (EFHA), to the council-backed Caversham Safer Community Forum.

Robert Paice, housing manager for EFHA said: "Youths had continually used this site to congregate and gain access to the open ground beyond.

"A number of fires had been started in the open ground and rubbish was constantly being dumped on the site.

"The new fence has effectively prevented any reoccurrence of these anti-social activities."

Inspector Dave Griffiths, of Thames Valley Police, said: "The mindless actions of the youths who pulled down the new fence before the concrete had even set shows the kind of behaviour we are up against."

The move was taken under the Safer Reading Campaign, a partnership between Reading Borough Council, the police and community groups.