Vandalism of newly planted tree 'an insult to Buckingham and the Queen'

A town councillor said the vandalising of a freshly planted tree is an insult to the people of Buckingham and to the Queen.

On Sunday, a team of volunteers and council officers planted 250 saplings in Buckingham's Heartlands Park, in honour of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee year.

The community planting event was part of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative, which encourages everyone to plant trees, so they continue to thrive for generations to come.

But on Monday one of the saplings was found to have been uprooted and taken away.

One of the plaques marking the tree community tree planting in honour of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative had also been removed, but this was later recovered from the river by tree wardens, and reinstated.

Although the town council's Greenspaces Team have inspected the nearby stretch of the river, the missing alder sapling has not been located.

It is hoped that it can be replaced with another sapling in the near future.

Councillor Warren Whyte, who chairs Buckingham Town Council's Environment Committee, said: “I detest vandalism of any kind, but to uproot a freshly planted tree for the Queen’s Jubilee is not only an insult to the residents of Buckingham, but to Her Majesty too.

"I just can’t imagine why anyone would have such hatred for the environment that they would stoop so low.

"Not only do I hope they are truly ashamed of their pathetic actions, but they come forward to apologise and replace the tree."