Police hunt ‘tea poisoner’ after sickness hits tree felling workers

POLICE have launched an investigation after workmen taking part in a controversial tree felling programme claimed they had fallen ill after drinking tea provided by disgruntled locals.

Detectives were called in after three workers said they feared they had been “poisoned” while helping to chop down trees from residential streets in Sheffield.

All three were allegedly taken ill shortly after accepting tea from members of the local community where they had been working.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed that officers had launched an investigation.

The spokesman said: “South Yorkshire Police are investigating reports of three alleged assaults on three workers who were felling trees in Sheffield – this matter was reported during October 2017. Officers have carried out forensic tests and have spoken to a number of witnesses regarding this matter and inquiries are ongoing.”

The incidents follow bitter protests by some residents in Sheffield over the city council’s plan to fell 6,000 trees.

The scheme is part of a £2.2billion street improvement and regeneration programme, but many residents are angry at what they regard as the unnecessary destruction of the landscape. Protests have become increasingly tense, with workers involved in daily clashes with protesters.

The alleged poisoning took place in October when three workers with the construction firm Amey reported becoming violently ill after they drank tea donated by residents.

Such was the severity of their symptoms that all three were forced to take time off work.

One source, who did not want to be named, said: “I spoke to one worker who said he had a cup of tea during his shift, finished work but then became violently sick. He took the next day off work and then discovered his two colleagues had similar symptoms.

“The worker said they felt they had been given something because the symptoms were so similar and severe, so they reported it to the police.”

At least one contractor has paused work on the programme because of staff safety concerns.

Sheffield council embarked on its felling programme in 2012 and has a target of removing 6,000 “dangerous, dead, dying, damaging or discriminatory” trees by the end of the year.

But protesters vowed to frustrate the programme and have even launched legal action in the High Court.

In November 2016 two pensioners were arrested after contractors attempted to fell a tree under cover of darkness. Jenny Hockey, 70, and Freda Brayshaw, 71, were held in a police cell for almost nine hours after trying to stop workmen cutting down trees outside their homes at 5am. The charges against them were later dropped.

In February last year, Dr Simon Crump, 56, and Calvin Payne, 44, were detained after protesting against workmen cutting down a 100-year-old tree.

They were due to face trial charged under trade union laws regarding stopping workers from carrying out their jobs but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case after accepting it was not in the public interest to prosecute.

‘I spoke to one worker who said he had a cup of tea during his shift, finished work but then became violently sick’