Chorley fairy trail 'binned' over plastic gnomes and doors

Jacob Burnell was one of dozens of children to have placed items on the trail

A young boy has been left "heartbroken" after a woodland fairy trail he helped create was "binned" over concerns about plastic items, his mother has said.

Six-year-old Jacob Burnell was among dozens of children who put fairy doors, gnomes and other items in Whittle Spinney Wood, Chorley, during lockdown.

The Woodland Trust (WT) said it had now removed more than 200 plastic pieces, as they were "a hazard to wildlife".

Caroline Burnell said the charity's decision was "guff".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said parents had been outraged that the items were removed without their children being given the opportunity to collect them.

Mrs Burnell said when her son found tiny teacups he had left in the woods were gone, he had asked: "Why would they do that?"

"He was really excited every time we went back to see that they were still there.

"I was worried vandals would come and destroy it, but it had stood the test of time - until now."

She said the charity "should just fess up and admit they shouldn't have binned it all like this".

Parents were outraged items were "binned" without warning, Mrs Burnell said

Girl Guides leader Samantha Eccles said she had made a complaint to the trust about the removals, as the trail had been "something which provided children with some reassurance and relieved their boredom" during lockdown.

"The stuff that was left wasn't biodegradable because people didn't want it to break down after just a few days," she added.

A WT spokeswoman said the items were placed without the charity's permission and "because plastic is non-biodegradable and can be a hazard to wildlife and fauna, we had to take this action".

"We are delighted people are visiting our woods, but ask that people do it respectfully and leave no trace."

However, the parish council of nearby Clayton-le-Woods have offered the children the chance to make a new "environmentally-friendly" fairy trail in Back Lane Woods.

Council chairman Mark Clifford said they had made the offer to ensure youngsters remain "engaged with nature and have a positive experience of wooded areas".