Longbird Causeway.

The breakwater at Coney Island is a wall against water flooding the Causeway during bad weather and causing dangerous erosion.

But over the Cup Match holiday young vandals scattered stones from the Horse Ferry breakwater.

The importance of the breakwater protecting the Causeway was stressed by Assistant Director of Parks Mr. Bill Cook on Monday.

St. George's fisherman Mr. Brunell Spurling said he saw children taking gravel and small rocks from the breakwater and throwing them into the sea early on Sunday.

"You try to repair something and make it look decent, and people come along and do this,'' he said.

The structure was rebuilt this winter by the Parks Department and the Department of Works and Engineering. The structure was built in the "traditional'' style with large boulders, and cracks are grouted with smaller rocks and gravel, Mr. Cook explained.

Mr. Cook said Park Rangers would have chased trespassers away at any other time, but they were very busy with campers.

BREAKIN' IT UP -- Cracks are appearing between stones in the Horse-Ferry breakwater at Coney Island Park where the grouting -- made of smaller stones -- has disappeared.