THE acts of trespassing vandals who destroyed a mature sycamore tree in the upper dale have been described as “idiocy”.
The incident happened on Saturday, May 18, on land adjacent to the Forresters pub, Middleton-in-Teesdale, when the group of vandals sawed through one limb of the mature tree and took a chainsaw to another.
Resident Clare Finn, who witnessed the incident, said she watched with “horror, disbelief and disgust”.
“It took about 20 minutes to destroy a majestic tree which was probably about 100 years old.
The incident took place on Raby Estates land.
A spokesperson for the landowner said: “We are deeply saddened by the vandalism caused to the sycamore tree on our land opposite the Forresters Bar and Restaurant in Middleton-in-Teesdale.
“We take great pride in our estate and our team works incredibly hard to look after the environment.
“We are working with the police on this matter and will continue to assist in whatever way we can.”
