Community leaders have blasted a Christmas Grinch terrorising their area’s plantlife with a saw.
Residents in Cove Bay, Aberdeen have reported a vandal lumberjack randomly felling trees and destroying decades of hard work.
Some were planted four decades ago, when building first began in the suburb, and have been carefully maintained by a dedicated band of green-fingered volunteers over the years.
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Cove Bay and Altens Community Council chairwoman Michele McPartlin said: “This is a particularly nasty spate of vandalism destroying trees, which have a hard enough time growing at the best of times in our coastal climate.
“Trees, like the ones at the school, have struggled to be the size that they were since the school was built nearly 40 years ago.
“We have those in the community working their socks off to make it a more environmentally friendly place to live and this crime thumbs a nose at everyone living here.”
She added: “Being at large with a sharp saw and with this mentality, the culprits must be caught and fast before more destruction happens.”
Police have confirmed they are hunting for the culprit and community leaders have echoed their plea for information.
Ward councillor Sarah Duncan branded the vandalism “senseless and inexcusable.”
She added: “The vast majority of Cove people value and look after their green spaces, so it is infuriating that someone chooses to destroy trees just for kicks.”
Stephen Flynn, who also represents the area with SNP colleague Alex Nicoll, said: “Both Alex and myself have had constituents contact us to express their dismay at the damage that has been done and understandably so.
“It’s incredibly disappointing to see these trees felled and I hope that someone in the local area has information that they can share with the relevant authorities.”
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers received a call reporting vandalism to trees in the Cove area of Aberdeen at Cove Road and Cove Walk.
“Officers are making inquiries into the reported vandalism.”
Anyone with information should call 101.
