Children are risking their lives by breaking into a former military site just outside of Ipswich, climbing a 160ft mast and taking ‘selfies’ at the top to post on social media.

Youths have been caught cutting through the fence around the Suffolk Aviation Heritage Museum in Foxhall Road, Kesgrave, to force their way onto the plot, before getting up to mischief and putting themselves in danger.

Today, Mike Sarbutts, a police community support officer (PCSO) for Kesgrave and Rushmere St Andrew, posted a warning on Twitter and urged residents to contact police if they saw anything suspicious in the area.

The Suffolk Aviation Heritage Group, which runs the museum, fears someone could be killed if the vandalism carries on.

A spokeswoman for the organisation said: “Children are continually cutting through the museum’s high level perimeter fence in order to gain access to the site’s redundant buildings but also to climb the main mast which is approximately 160ft high.

“Not only are they damaging the fencing, which we are continually repairing, but they are also breaking into the redundant site buildings causing considerable damage and exposing themselves to existing hazards. Additionally, we have seen evidence that children are photographing themselves at the top of the mast and posting it onto Facebook.

“We have grave concerns that someone could be fatally injured if this continues.

“We are a charitable museum and struggle to finance these continual incursions.”

The museum is located at the site of a former Second World War bomber command wireless station and top secret United States Army Air Force Cold War communications centre.

There are three tall towers in the field, which previously would have been used to support satellite dishes.