ANGRY council chiefs have have hit out at vandals who needlessly damaged a tree alongside the River Avon in Evesham.
The tree, a young willow, which was planted in Common Meadow about five years ago, was discovered with a large section of its bark stripped away from the trunk earlier this week.
Lynn Stevens, Senior Parks and Greenspace Officer for Wychavon, said: “We are angry about the tree being so needlessly damaged, especially as trees take time to establish themselves and this one was doing very nicely.
“We do get bark stripping occasionally, but not usually as bad as this example.
“Stripping the bark off a tree means that the food supply cells from the roots, which are located immediately under the bark, are destroyed. This means that the tree starves and dies if the bark is removed all around the trunk.
“We especially planted a willow here as it suits the ground conditions and also goes well with the natural riverside surroundings.”
If anyone has any information about this incident, they can report it by calling 01386 565018.
