'Senseless vandalism' sees 200 trees ripped up

Hundreds of tree saplings planted two days ago have been ripped up in what has been described as an act of "senseless vandalism".

Workington Town Council said it was "deeply saddened" to see all 200 trees, which were planted on area of waste ground in Siddick, Cumbria, on Tuesday morning, had been destroyed or burned.

The saplings, which were made up of fruit and other trees, were part of a project near McGowen Street to create an orchard for wildlife and residents.

Appealing for information, police said the damage was believed to have been carried out between 10:00 GMT on Tuesday and 13:00 on Wednesday.

Mayor David Farrar, who helped plant the trees, said it had been "a really good day".

The mayor said the project aimed to "bring a bit of wasteland into proper use" for the community.

"When the team went back to the site they discovered every single one of them have been ripped out along with the stakes and guards," he told BBC Radio Cumbria.

"It does not appear to be random damage because it would have taken real time and effort to undo everything we had created."

He said the planting team were "gutted" and revealed they had found some of the trees burned behind the site.

"Someone must know something," the mayor said.

The council added it was "deeply saddened and can't understand why anyone would do this".

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