Trees felled as police probe 'signs of poisoning'

Two mature trees have been felled after police say there were signs they may have been poisoned.

Lincolnshire County Council said the lime and hornbeam trees, on Chaucer Drive, Lincoln, had to be chopped down on Wednesday because they were dying and could have posed a danger.

Chris Miller, head of environment at the authority, said the trees, which were 50 to 60 years old, had been "killed off" and there were "clear signs of some definite interference".

Lincolnshire Police said there were indications that at least one of the trees "had been poisoned by a herbicide", but there was "insufficient evidence" to prove who had done it and the case had been closed.

Miller described the incident as criminal damage.

"People value trees, they are an important part in the fabric of our landscapes," he said.

"Deliberate acts of vandalism that kills them off and puts other people in danger as well is clearly not something that we particularly like to see."

Miller said the trees had been identified as having an "amenity value" of about £40,000 each, which takes into account biodiversity, urban cooling, carbon storage and other factors.

Using the same metric, the Sycamore Gap tree by Hadrian's Wall, which was deliberately cut down in 2023, was valued at £450,000.

Jeanette Pavey, whose home is flanked by the two trees, said it was sad they had been felled, despite the roots causing damage to her garden path and problems with her pipes.

"I like trees and they were beautiful trees, but they planted the wrong trees, unsuitable for a densely populated area," she said.

Amanda Cantwell, who works in the area, expressed sorrow at the loss of the trees.

"It's actually really, really sad, they were beautiful trees," she said.

Lincolnshire Police said it had investigated "two trees being damaged or poisoned".

A police spokesperson said inquiries showed "there were early signs to one of the trees that it had been poisoned by a herbicide".

"The second tree was 95% dead. It was found that someone had drilled holes into the trees and [bunged] the holes up with corks," they added.

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