Laindon trees vandals should face 'hellfire and blood' - council leader

Vandals who hacked down trees should be met with "hellfire and blood" if caught, a council leader said.

Trees that commemorated Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee were felled in Victoria Park, in Laindon, Essex, last week.

It followed similar incidents in The Wick Country Park and South Green, near Billericay.

Conservative Basildon Borough Council leader Andrew Baggott said it was "totally uncalled for".

He said: "We should be exploring every avenue we can to identify these culprits and visit them with hellfire and blood and damnation and brimstone.

"It is nothing more than pre-calculated and pre-meditated vandalism of an absolute monumental scale.

"[It is] totally uncalled for, totally uncosted and whoever did it should be caught, locked up and the key thrown away."

His words came after Laindon Park Conservative ward councillor, Jeff Henry, raised the issue at a Basildon Borough Councils cabinet meeting.

He said it appeared six trees in Victoria Park, which took a "considerable amount of time and effort" to maintain, had been sliced down by a power tool.

They had been planted in 2022 to mark the late queen's 70th year on the throne and had plaques attached to them.

Mr Henry told the meeting those responsible should "give their heads a wobble and get a life".

He said council officers, who grew up near the park, had been hit "hard" by the vandalism.

"I cannot describe how angry I am at people smashing stuff up as soon as we're spending money to put it in," added Mr Henry.

The BBC contacted Essex Police for comment.

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