NEED TO KNOW
- On Wednesday, Dec. 10, a Christmas tree was hacked down in County Durham, England, hours after its festive lights were switched on
- Villagers have been left outraged as the tree was planted over a decade ago as a monument to the fallen soldiers of World War I
- “We are treating this incident extremely seriously, and we will deal with anyone responsible as robustly as the law allows,” said Police Constable David Allan
A village in England is in shock after chainsaw-wielding vandals attacked a monumental tree that had stood for over a decade.
On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Durham Police received reports that Shotton Colliery’s Christmas tree had been cut down. The incident occurred between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time, just hours after locals had gathered to watch its festive lights be switched on.
“This was a disgusting act of mindless vandalism, which has caused huge upset throughout the village at a time when our community should be coming together,” said Police Constable David Allan, from Peterlee Neighbourhood Police Team, in a Facebook post.
“We are treating this incident extremely seriously, and we will deal with anyone responsible as robustly as the law allows,” he continued. “This behavior has no place in our community. Someone knows something – please help us find who is responsible.”
Peterlee Police Facebook
Shotton Residents Association chairman Steve Maitland revealed to BBC Radio Tees that local residents are now in the process of making a sleeve to get the tree back up as quickly as possible.
The tree has stood in the village for over 10 years as a monument to the fallen soldiers of World War I.
“These people who did this – I don’t think they understand the history and the feeling of these things,” Maitland told BBC Radio Tees.
He described the incident as “mindless vandalism,” while adding that some of the people who helped to fundraise for the tree a decade ago have since died. Maitland called for a new fundraiser to plant a replacement tree.
“[We’ve] just got to push on and try and get it sorted,” he told the outlet.
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On Wednesday, local church St Saviour’s had penned a Facebook post thanking those who attended the Christmas light switch-on and Rev. Shaun Conlon for giving his blessing. They then returned to the social media platform to share several photos of the damage done to the tree as they called for those responsible to face consequences.
“Late last night, it was reported that Shotton Colliery’s Christmas Tree had been cut down,” the church wrote alongside the photos. “After all the People who gave their time and effort to raise funds to get a Tree for the village.
“This morning a tree surgeon has looked at the damage and said it’s been done with a chainsaw,” the church added. “May the people who caused this be caught and punished by the authorities.”
Durham Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone who might have footage from the incident to get in contact.
They did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further comment.
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