Monday, June 21, 2021

Mystery vandal poisoning mature trees ‘to improve their sea view’, locals claim

bowjey woods
Someone tried to kill off the sycamore trees in Bowjey Woods, it is suspected (Picture: SWNS)

A mystery vandal poisoned trees to secure a better view of the Cornish coastline, angry locals claim.

Sycamores planted in Bowjey Woods half a century ago were injected with herbicide to try and kill them off in 2018, it’s believed.

Three years later, activists claim the mature trees, which overlook Newlyn Harbour and the seafront in Penzance, are ‘just about hanging on’. Cornwall Council says most have recovered.

Residents are determined to protect the woods – and have developed a shocking theory after a meeting with experts at contracting company Cormac.

Matt Thompson, 30, a member of a volunteer group clearing up the woods, said: ‘We had a meeting with Cormac that was essentially a safety inspection in the woods.

‘While with us, they confirmed suspicions that some of the long-standing trees had been drilled into and injected with a herbicide as if they wanted to kill the trees off.

‘Our suspicion is that the trees were blocking someone’s views and they wanted to kill them off to restore their view.

‘The crucial thing is not who they are but what they are doing and it is important we expose that to protect the woods.’

Locals are being asked to take action by ‘keeping an eye’ on the trees when they’re close-by. 

Matt Thompson at the Bowjey Woods in Newlyn, Cornwall. See SWNS story SWPLview. A mystery vandal has sparked fury by poisoning mature trees to try and improve their view of the Cornish coastline. Several large detached houses at the top of Bowjey Woods have a sightline to the seafront and harbour blocked by a row of mature sycamore trees planted more than 50 years ago. But during a recent inspection experts have confirmed to locals that many of them had been tampered with and injected with herbicide to try and kill them off. The trees have been described as
Matt Thompson believes the trees were blocking someone’s view (Picture: SWNS)
This is the view of Penzance from the Bowjey Woods in Newlyn, Cornwall. See SWNS story SWPLview. A mystery vandal has sparked fury by poisoning mature trees to try and improve their view of the Cornish coastline. Several large detached houses at the top of Bowjey Woods have a sightline to the seafront and harbour blocked by a row of mature sycamore trees planted more than 50 years ago. But during a recent inspection experts have confirmed to locals that many of them had been tampered with and injected with herbicide to try and kill them off. The trees have been described as
The view of Penzance from Bowjey Woods in Newlyn, Cornwall (Picture: SWNS)
Trees at the Bowjey Woods in Newlyn, Cornwall, have been drilled and mistreated. See SWNS story SWPLview. A mystery vandal has sparked fury by poisoning mature trees to try and improve their view of the Cornish coastline. Several large detached houses at the top of Bowjey Woods have a sightline to the seafront and harbour blocked by a row of mature sycamore trees planted more than 50 years ago. But during a recent inspection experts have confirmed to locals that many of them had been tampered with and injected with herbicide to try and kill them off. The trees have been described as
It’s thought the trees were injected with herbicide (Picture: SWNS)
The Bowjey Woods in Newlyn, Cornwall. See SWNS story SWPLview. A mystery vandal has sparked fury by poisoning mature trees to try and improve their view of the Cornish coastline. Several large detached houses at the top of Bowjey Woods have a sightline to the seafront and harbour blocked by a row of mature sycamore trees planted more than 50 years ago. But during a recent inspection experts have confirmed to locals that many of them had been tampered with and injected with herbicide to try and kill them off. The trees have been described as
Activists have asked local to ‘keep an eye’ on the trees (Picture: SWNS)

Matt said: ‘That’s better than to name and shame. We don’t know anything about them, all we know is they don’t like trees.

‘It appears this is all about wanting a better view towards the Cornish coastline including Penzance promenade and Newlyn Harbour, but this is not the way to go about it.’

Volunteer group Friends of Rosebud Gardens and Bowjey Woods has spent months clearing pathways in the woodland, making the paths safe and installing bat boxes.

The hard work put in to improve the beauty spot cannot go to waste, Matt says.

He added: ‘People are very unhappy this is throwing a spanner in our efforts to enhance the local area. The area has been neglected for some time…

‘None of the bodies can do anything without a lot more evidence, but we can raise awareness of what has been done to make sure the woods are clear to walk through.’

Cornwall Council said it initially was made aware of herbicide injections in 2018, but the trees have now mostly recovered.

A spokesperson added: ‘It was discovered that holes had been drilled around the base of several trees at Bowjey Woods by unknown parties. There were also signs of dieback which indicated the use of a herbicide.

‘We are pleased to report that the affected trees have now mainly recovered, and there has been no repeat of the incident in the three-year intervening period.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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