'Shock' as trees cut down in woodland to create den

A group that maintains a woodland in Derbyshire said vandals who chopped down trees and created a den have caused thousands of pounds of damage.

Members of the Buxton Civic Association said 27 trees were cut down inside Grin Low Woods on 22 February.

The group estimated it had caused about £20,000 of damage.

Woodland manager at the association, Harriet Saltis, said: "It was quite upsetting and shocking that so much damage had been done to a small yew plantation."

Saltis said the vandals cut down a "significant" amount of trees, including 10 established yew trees, to create the structure.

"We encourage den-making with material that people can find on the floor, not cutting anything down," she said.

"It was a very elaborate structure, so they'd used lots of twine and paracord to make it.

"They had a second floor, as well as tarps built in as roofing.

"The trees they had cut down were quite significant, and they were yew trees, which are really slow growing.

"The yew trees were only 20 years old but if you were to replace them like for like then there would be a significant value to that.

"It's more the biodiversity and the conservation impact that is more of a shock to us."

Saltis believes the structure would have taken "a couple of days" to construct.

"It was quite an established den that they'd created, but it's a shame that they went through so much effort in digging and cutting and dismantling things and that they shouldn't have been," she said.

The woodland has previously been hit by vandalism.

The eyes on one wooden sculpture were gouged out and a swastika was etched on to another quarry‑worker figure three years earlier.

Derbyshire Police said it was "aware of ongoing concerns and issues" reported in the woodland.

The force is "working with interested parties as well as the landowner and other partners as part of an ongoing problem management plan for the area".

"A report relating to a number of trees being cut down and a shelter constructed has been received and is being reviewed by our specialist rural crime team officers as part of the ongoing issues being seen in the area," a spokesperson added.

Saltis said she hoped the woodland could continue to be enjoyed by the community.

"We encourage people to come and enjoy and that's why we look after the woodlands, so they're here for the community in perpetuity, as we were gifted them," she added.

"We want to look after them for everybody, but it's got to be a mutual agreement."

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