Christmas: Do people break the law to get a tree?

Police have tracked down the owner of a car which was filmed with a tree on its roof

It is the time of year when brightly-decorated Christmas trees start appearing in windows and gardens, with some households going all out to capture the festive mood.

But during the time of peace and goodwill, do some people actually break the law to capture the spirit?

Police have tracked down the owner of a car that was spotted leaving a forest with a tree attached to the roof.

Taking trees from forests can be an offence under the Theft Act.

The vehicle was caught on camera leaving the Clocaenog Forest, a 15,000 acre (6,000 hectare) site near Ruthin which is home to red squirrels.

North Wales Police's rural crime team manager Rob Taylor said the punishment for such festive offences could vary.

He said it could be as simple as a community resolution which is a way some minor offences are resolved, with agreement between the parties involved, such as the landowner and the person who took the tree.

Previous offences are also taken into account, and the culprit could also be hit with a caution or asked to appear in court.

"It's hard to gauge how big a problem it is as there are vast forest blocks in north Wales, so very difficult to put a figure on it and know actual theft numbers," Mr Taylor said.

Decorating a tree is an exciting part of Christmas for children

The tree theft from the Clocaenog Forest was picked up by a trail camera which has now been moved to another "secret location" to continue monitoring the area.

It is not the first time the force has been concerned about tree thefts in the area - Operation Tinsel was launched in October 2015.

This saw targeted patrols of known hot spots where fir trees had been stolen regularly in the past, often on a commercial basis by rogue tree fellers.

The value of Christmas trees means it is not just people who take them from forests for their homes - £3,000 worth were taken from outside a London shop by thieves this week.