New trees lopped in 'clinical execution'

The tops of trees near Highbury and Forsyth Road have been lopped off

Newly-planted trees have had their tops chopped off in what has been described as a “clinical execution”.

The 29 trees on the playing fields near Forsyth Road in Jesmond, Newcastle, will cost about £15,000 to replace.

Police are now investigating.

Newcastle City councillor Ged Bell he said he was "absolutely appalled".

Mr Bell told colleagues at a meeting of the Town Moor Joint Working Group a member of the public had come to the planting ceremony and threatened to chop the trees down with an axe.

"I am not saying it was a resident," he said.

"But it has caused very serious damage.

"They would have made the place much better for future generations but, for some reason, someone does not want that to happen.”

There was no debris left behind by the trees

The trees were hacked on the night of 29 March and the damage was discovered by the Freemen of Newcastle, who manage the playing fields, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Vice chair of the Freemen's stewards committee, Nick Atkinson, said no debris had been left behind, suggesting targeted action rather than a random act of vandalism.

“This was a clinical execution where the tops of the trees had been cut off at the height of the guards that had been put around them," he said.

"I am mortified, it is absolutely horrific.”

The Freemen said it would not derail tree planting around the Town Moor as part of multi-million pound plans to create a North East Community Forest.

Chairman David Wilson said it was a setback "but we won’t allow that to interfere with our programme of tree planting to mitigate climate change and provide a beneficial environment for all of the city’s residents".

Northumbria Police asked anyone with information about what happened to contact the force.