Plea for doorbell footage after tree attacks

Residents in part of east London are being urged to share CCTV and doorbell footage after a spate of tree attacks.

The vandalism to Hackney's street trees includes silver birches being snapped in half or their bark stripped back, which can be fatal for them.

Resident Mark Westcott, who has lived in the borough for decades, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he reported numerous incidents and was appalled by this "violence against the community".

Hackney Council said it was supporting police in tackling the vandalism, including stepping up patrols and gathering residents' concerns.

The fresh wave of damage comes after more than 60 trees, including newly planted ones, were vandalised across Hackney in 2022.

Mr Westcott said: "It's heart-breaking enough seeing the silver birches come to maturity, then to see them get ring-barked…this attacker is going for trees that are young enough you can actually snap them.

"Apparently it's a 'victimless crime', but the truth is that the victim is the London borough of Hackney."

Ring-barking or girdling is the substantial or total loss of bark from around the circumference of a tree trunk or branch, which can cause them to die.

The areas targeted are in the Cazenove ward, where Stoke Newington, Upper Clapton and Stamford Hill intersect.

Residents are lobbying the council calling the vandalism "aggressive" and "sophisticated".

Mr Westcott said he suspected the person or people behind the attacks eluded the authorities by targeting areas without CCTV in a "relentless onslaught".

Hackney mayor Caroline Woodley, who was responsible for families, parks and leisure before her election, said: "This vandalism of young trees can be really destructive, particularly during the critical early period of their growth.

She said the council was not able to deploy CCTV capacity to the area without additional financial investment or without taking resources away from other priority areas.

"We are supporting the police with their investigation to find those responsible. This includes carrying out additional patrols in the area," she added.

Residents are being urged to report any vandalism of street trees to the council.

Green councillor for the Hackney Downs ward, Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, said residents "need to come together as a community" to provide special protection for the trees.

The Metropolitan Police told the LDRS it had received reports of incidents but had not identified any suspects.

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