Vandals wreck newly-planted trees in Wiltshire park

New saplings planted in the Seymour Road park and at the Stallard Street recreation field have been damaged in recent weeks.

An older sapling planted in Trowbridge Town Park has also been bent over and snapped in half and has since been removed.

The damaged tree in Trowbridge Town Park has since been removed. Image: Trevor Porter77122-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

The damage has been condemned by residents and Cllr Mel Jacob, a Trowbridge town and Wiltshire councillor who has spearheaded a project to plant the trees.

Cllr Jacob said: “We have had quite a few in about three or four different locations where people have just snapped them in half.

“They were decent-sized trees. It is a bit soul-destroying really. It is a bit upsetting.

“I don’t think it is the same people. I think it is just different people in different locations.

“At the moment, we can’t do much about it because it is past the tree-planting season.

“From my point of view, there is no point in saying that we aren’t going to plant any more trees because people might vandalise them.

“We are just going to keep planting trees and keep trying to improve the town and if there are some silly people around ruining things then we have just got to keep going.

“I am not going to take the attitude of well, it’s not worth us doing it because we will never improve anything that way.”

Trowbridge Town Council won a £140,471 grant from Great Western Community Forests to plant the trees.

Cllr Mel Jacob, along with Cllrs Jo Trigg and Stewart Palmen, Town Council clerk Lance Allan and the council’s facilities manager Carl Buckingham, celebrate gaining a £140,4712 grant to plant new trees and maintain trees around Trowbridge. Image: Trevor Porter 70609-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Read More: Hundreds of new trees to be planted in Trowbridge in spring

The project, called Trowbridge Green Thread, will add 300 trees all over the town creating new areas and adding to existing green spaces like Paxcroft Brook, Biss Meadows, The Down Cemetery and the Town Park.  

New trees have been planted in community orchards, recreation fields, play areas, and to brighten entrances to the town.

The project also received 350 ‘whips’ – young saplings – to plant, plus bulbs and some park benches so that residents can sit and enjoy their environment.

The damage has disappointed Cllr Jacob who believes more young people need to be educated to respect and protect their local environment.

She added: “It is disappointing and I think it’s an ongoing education piece to explain to people – maybe we need better things for young people to do.

“We have just got to be positive about it and keep on trying to move forward.”