FOREST MANAGERS ON HIGH ALERT FOR THIEVES HUNTING FOR CHRISTMAS TREES
FORESTRY managers in Wales have been put on high alert after a spate of thefts of young conifers for use as Christmas trees.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said trees are best left “standing on forest floors, as opposed to living rooms”.
A large, private Welsh grower of Christmas trees believes thefts are less of a problem these days because most people want the full festive experience when buying their conifers.
But with Nordmann firs costing anywhere between £30 and £250, depending on size and quality, there will always be some who are tempted.
In recent weeks NRW has become aware of light-fingered activity in its woodland estate.
Trees have disappeared from Afan Forest in Neath Port Talbot, and from Alwen Forest in Denbighshire.
At the latter, one “chancer” was caught green-handed when a trail camera recorded him driving out of the forest with a tree strapped to his car roof.
James Roseblade, NRW’s senior land management officer, urged people to help protect Wales’ woodlands by buying Christmas trees from local suppliers.
“Cutting down a tree from one of the woodlands we manage is a criminal offence,” he said. “Any report of thefts will be passed on to the police to investigate.
“We know nothing beats the smell of fresh pine needles this time of year. But if you want a real tree in your living room this Christmas, there are plenty of suppliers across Wales who grow and sell fresh trees.”
One of the biggest suppliers in Wales is Evergreen Christmas Trees, which has a 200-acre plantation on the Wales-Shropshire border. The Powys company has been growing Norway Spruce, Fraser Fir and Nordmann Fir for 25 years.
Owner Stephen Reynolds says thefts are an occasional problem - but one that doesn’t justify the expense of extra security.
Mr Reynolds admitted it would be difficult to know if one or two trees disappeared. But, given the site’s remote, hilly location, he doubts that criminal gangs would target the plantation.
“It’s a tight-knit community around here and anything out of the ordinary quickly gets noticed,” he said. “We probably lose a few each year but, as we are suppliers to garden centres, we cut trees earlier than most people want them in homes, so there’s not much point stealing them.
“From what I can see, most tree thefts tend to occur from retail sites where they are netted for easy transport.”
Neither does Mr Reynolds think that commercial forests are particularly vulnerable to fir tree thefts. Most consumers want non-needle dropping Nordmann Firs, a variety that’s thin on the ground on staterun woodlands. Anyone who does pinch one from a forest may find it looking a bit sad by the big day.
The Alwen Forest thief who was caught on camera has since been dealt with. He was forced to pay “suitable compensation” to NRW, which was donated to the Red Squirrel Conservation Trust for its work at Clocaenog where he stole the tree.
North Wales Police’s rural crime team said such thefts would see people “on the naughty list” this Christmas.
But Mr Reynolds can’t see tree poaching becoming too popular.
“These days it’s not just about picking up a Christmas tree,” he said. “People want it to be a festive experience for the whole family.”