Hundreds of beauty spot trees pulled out by vandals
MORE than 350 newly-planted trees at a Loughborough beauty spot have been lost because of ongoing vandalism, a council has reported.
A variety of saplings were planted at Charnwood Water last year as part of a plan by the council to grow 100,000 trees across the borough.
However, most have been deliberately pulled from the ground or vandalised.
Charnwood Borough Council has said it was “extremely disappointed” to report a further instance of saplings, which had been donated by a conservation charity, being uprooted or otherwise damaged
It said 200 of the 560 trees have now been moved to a new spot, while the rest have been “wasted”.
Earlier this year, it was reported some concerns about the placement of
the saplings, with one councillor complaining residents nearby had not been consulted.
In a statement, the council said: “Around 200 of the trees have been saved and moved to other locations. However, the remaining 360 trees are wasted.
“The council will continue to work with its partner Idverde (a grounds maintenance company) and the police to tackle vandalism and identify those involved.”
Councillor Jenny Bokor, the authority’s lead member for open spaces, said: “This is incredibly disappointing.
“The trees had kindly been donated by The Conservation Volunteers Charity and it is a huge shame for members of the community who volunteered their time to help plant the trees.
“Regardless of whether people agree with the trees being there or not, there is no justification for this mindless vandalism. This is not the first time that trees have been vandalised at Charnwood Water. As such we have reported the incidences to the police.
“We take pride in our open spaces and want to increase the number of trees in the borough.
“However, it’s being made extremely difficult when we’re constantly battling with vandalism or theft. Around 200 trees have been saved and replanted elsewhere where they are appreciated.”
The council said it remained committed to a pledge to see plant an additional 100,000 trees in the borough by 2024.