Greenham Parish Council fears vandalised Covid memorial trees granted by West Berkshire Council may not survive

Two trees planted in memory of those who died during the Covid pandemic may not survive after they were found snapped in half.

Planted by Greenham Parish Council in March, two of the three Japanese cherry trees on Stroud Green were damaged last Thursday night or Friday morning by an unknown culprit or culprits.

Located on the corner of Racecourse Road and Greenham Road, the trees have since been tended to by the parish council, but parish councillors are unsure whether they will survive.

Michelle Power, a passer-by who discovered the vandalism, said: “I've just seen that some heartless mindless idiot has snapped two of the three trees planted on the corner of Stroud Green, in memory of the people lost to Covid.

“I just wish someone would needlessly damage something they care about for them to appreciate the hurt they cause.”

Greenham Parish Council accepted 10 trees from West Berkshire Council earlier this year when it was offering trees to parishes as part of the memorial project.

The other seven were planted along Pigeons Farm Road and two of them were also damaged last month, meaning nearly half of the memorial trees have now been vandalised.

Greenham Parish Council member Alison Blackborow said: “It’s really disheartening to think people just go along and vandalise some trees for no reason.

“A lot of people and passers-by have been really upset by the damage.

“I daresay the people who damaged them don’t understand the significance of the trees. That’s the sad thing.”

Mrs Blackborow visited the damaged Stroud Green trees on Sunday along with fellow parish councillor Ken Neal to assess the damage.

Mr Neal, assisted by Mrs Blackborow, pruned, splintered and taped the trees in a hope they might survive and continue to grow.

He thought there may be a sufficient cabrium layer intact on each tree to keep them alive.

However, Mrs Blackborow wasn’t too hopeful due to the current drought, and described the leaves as “droopy”.

She also said the damaged Pigeons Farm Road trees were “looking quite sad”.

The Greener Greenham Group, set up by Mrs Blackborow in March 2020, regularly waters and tends to the trees every Monday.

Greenham Parish Council chairman Steve Jones lamented that the parish council only has a small amount of taxpayers’ money that it can use for projects such as the memorial tree planting, and these projects that are intended to do some good for the community are ruined by mindless acts.

He said: “I don’t know what to say. I can’t understand why people do it.”

Mrs Blackborow said the council may consider installing some ornamental metal guards around the trees to protect them, but she was unsure whether the council would be able to afford it.