A prototype gamma ray detector for the detection of π 0 in the proposed experiment at SPring-8 to study the Gerasimov–Drell–Hearn (GDH) sum rule (GDH experiment) has been built and tested. The detector is fabricated with lead-scintillator tiles and wave length shifter fiber readout. This detector will be placed inside the bore of the superconducting magnet which supplies the polarized target with a 2.5 T magnetic field. High-detection efficiency (above 85%) for the gamma rays is the most important requirement for this detector to be employed in the proposed experiment. It has been tested with minimum ionizing particles, electrons and gamma rays. The results of the tests in comparison with some Monte Carlo simulations are presented. The evaluated efficiency for gamma rays ranging in energy above 50 MeV is higher than 90%.