Newly planted trees have been deliberately snapped by vandals at three different locations across North Tyneside.
The three groups of trees were planted as part of the council’s environmental improvement programme, intended to enhance the local environment and support biodiversity.
At Boyd Road, Farringdon Road and Howdon Park, 11, 15 and three trees were planted respectively by North Tyneside Council. The Council was first made aware of the vandalism at the Boyd Road location, where 10 of the 11 trees have now been destroyed, just weeks after being planted.
Initially, five of the trees had been snapped, prompting the council to install strong protective cages around the remaining six in the hope of deterring further vandalism.
Despite this, the cages themselves have now been forcibly bent and broken – and five of the six protected trees have now been damaged beyond saving.
Now, all three trees at Howdon Park, and two of the 15 trees at Farringdon Road, have been snapped.
Councillor Sandra Graham, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Tackling the Climate Emergency at North Tyneside Council, said: “The vandalism of the newly planted trees in North Tyneside is utterly disappointing.
“They were planted as part of our commitment to improving air quality and making our communities greener and more pleasant places to live. To mindlessly destroy them is not only disrespectful to our environment, but also to our residents.
“Many of our trees are planted by local schools or community groups, which makes these acts even more detrimental as their efforts are being cruelly undone.”
“We’ll continue to do everything we can to protect our green spaces and young trees, but we ask residents to come forward if they have any information.”
The council’s tree planting group has advised against replanting trees at the same location, as further vandalism is highly likely. Alternative, more suitable sites within Wallsend are now being considered for the group originally planted at Boyd Road.
Although the trees are not protected under Tree Preservation Orders due to their age, the council is treating the incidents as acts of anti-social behaviour.
The tree-planting initiative forms part of the council’s Ambition for Wallsend programme, which aims to make the area a more attractive place to live and visit.
Residents who witnessed anything suspicious or have information about the vandalism should send Northumbria Police a direct message on social media or use the live chat and report forms on the Force website.
For those unable to make contact with police via those ways, call 101.
Please quote reference number 053603Q/25.