PROJECTS like the wattle and daub shelter at Cogges Manor Farm Museum showcase the very best of youths’ efforts.

Unfortunately, the fire that has destroyed it may indeed showcase the worst.

Yesterday the museum revealed the destruction of the structure, built back in October by eight teenagers over the course of a week at a cost of about £2,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership was involved and it was then used by volunteers at Cogges to run projects in.

As organisers point out, the creation of this structure gave the youths involved a real sense of purpose and achievement.

Yet now others — and it is not a stretch to believe that there is a chance it is someone of the younger generation — has destroyed that for what will amount to pathetic kicks.

Those at Cogges are more forgiving than some would be: instead of pursuing a prosecution if the arsonist(s) is caught, organisers would far prefer to take him or her under their wing and show them the value of working for the benefit of the community.

But that attitude should just shame the guilty even more for this pointless attack.