Over a recent weekend, at Packing Wood in Kent, eight semi-mature oak trees were illegally felled, cut up and removed. The access gate off the main A-road had its padlock removed and a new one put on. Whoever did the felling also marked a number of other trees as well.
And, equally worryingly, in a separate incident at Arrowthwaite Wood, Cumbria, approximately 15 trees were felled illegally adjacent to local houses in this busy, urban, secondary wood. The methods used were crude and dangerous, often only cutting part way through the tree and relying on the next wind to bring them over. This follows previous smaller scale fellings.
The Woodland Trust, local police, the councils concerned, the Forestry Commission and other agencies are now involved in tackling this, especially given the danger these trees pose. Local media have also given the cases coverage.
Eight semi-mature oaks were felled just at Packing Wood
Trees were left in a damaged and dangerous condition
