Tree is left to die after bark slashed away by vandals

A GANG of vandals are being hunted by police after killing a prized tree in Princes Street Gardens by cutting away all of its bark.

Gardeners discovered the damage yesterday morning, with large pieces of bark left scattered around the bare tree trunk, which had also been badly scored by knives in the attack.

Council workers believe a group of youths were responsible for the damage, and the tree will now have to be removed.

The vandals also trampled on a nearby flower bed and set small fires on the lawns, while a young cherry tree just a few feet away was snapped almost in half.

It has been patched up, but staff at the gardens said the vandalism was becoming a worryingly regular occurrence.

Gardener Kenny Walker said: "This has killed the tree. Without its bark it will become diseased and will wither away. It will have to be taken out.

"It is such a shame, as it is a lovely tree and I can't understand why people would do this. When I saw it I was just stunned at the extent of the damage.

"We do get quite a lot of vandalism here and it has been growing. They do silly things like smashing bottles over flower beds, ripping up shrubs and flowers and throwing them about, or even setting small fires."

The tree was a 25-year-old sagus, and was described by gardeners as a "specimen tree", as it is an unusual type to be found in a Scottish park.

It was set on its own in the middle of a lawn at the back green of East Princes Street Gardens, and was planted during a major refurbishment of the park.

Rowan Stein, 18, a retail assistant from Bruntsfield who regularly visits the gardens, said there was a problem with particular groups of youngsters causing damage to the park.

She said: "It is shocking and it is gangs of kids who cause these problems. There are Goths and other groups who hang out here, and you can see the litter they leave behind and the damage they cause, although I don't know if they would have done this.

"Lots of different groups use the park and I'm just worried that any teen who dresses a little differently might now be asked to move on.

"It would be unfair for youngsters to be stopped from going to the park because of the actions of a few people."

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city's environment leader, said: "This is a case of nothing more than mindless vandalism. Because of this damage this 25-year-old tree has been killed and will have to be removed.

"Our parks are a place for the public to relax and enjoy themselves.

"This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and we will be working with the police to take appropriate action."