Order to plant 242 trees after lakeside felling

Trees were cut down on the shore of Windermere in December

An order has been issued to plant more than 200 trees on the shore of England's biggest lake after several were felled in what was described as an "act of unspeakable vandalism".

The cutting down of trees next to Windermere in December left people shocked and angry.

The Forestry Commission has now served a "restocking notice" for the area.

A spokesperson for the Lake District National Planning Authority (LDNPA) said this involved planting 242 trees on the site.

They should be a mixture and include oak, hawthorn and native mixed broadleaf trees.

How the shoreline looked before the trees were felled

The 242 trees are aimed to replace those felled, along with any that are unlikely to survive into adulthood.

The planting needs to be completed by 30 June 2025.

One resident, who did not want to be named, previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "The felling of the trees strikes us, and indeed thousands of visitors to the Lake District who pass that section of the shoreline several times a day, as an act of unspeakable ignorant vandalism."

The Forestry Commission did not comment, but it is understood the organisation will monitor planting at the site.