Hunt for vandals who felled village Christmas tree

Residents in part of Leicestershire say they are still trying to identify vandals who chopped down their village Christmas tree.

The 17ft (5.18m) tree in Sapcote - which the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said had been decorated with about 5,000 lights and giant baubles for the village switch-on - was found felled on 14 November.

A police investigation was launched and the tree was propped up as a short-term solution ahead of the official lights switch-on.

Neil Tyack, a resident who gifted the tree to Sapcote Parish Council eight years ago, said villagers had been left very upset about the felling.

He added it was clear an electric chainsaw had been used to cut through the tree.

He said: "The tree was put there for the people of the parish. Why did they feel that it is necessary to take something so beautiful, the most noblest of trees away at Christmas?

"Why would someone want to rob the village of a Christmas tree? The whole village is just up in arms, and it's sickening. Absolutely sickening."

The LDRS added residents had propped the tree up with brackets as a short-term solution and the switch-on took place on 1 December.

Leicestershire Police said it was alerted to the vandalism on 15 November, and it was believed to have happened between 20:00 and 21:00 GMT the previous evening.

The force has appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

The LDRS added Sapcote Parish Council had offered to put some funds aside for next year's tree and had been contacted for comment.

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