Residents of one Mitcham cul-de-sac are up in arms after a neighbour hacked into a historic lime tree, apparently in anger over resin dripping onto his car. The century-old tree, a cherished part of the community on Rustic Avenue, is now so badly damaged that it will have to be removed.
“We care about our trees, so we felt really violated,” said long-time resident Resina Chowdhury. “Just to think someone has done this to a hundred-year-old tree. Even if we get a replacement, it’s going to take a long, long time for anything to fill the void.”
Resina told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) how her daughter witnessed the attack on August 6: “She was doing a piano lesson with a neighbour at the time, and she saw the tree being cut with a chainsaw. I heard all this noise, and when my neighbour asked the man, he admitted that he had damaged the tree and that it was a spontaneous decision.”
Her neighbours were furious after hearing of this attack on the local WhatsApp group. Resina added: “We were just outraged, there were lots and lots of messages flying off on the group about this. People kind of knew who it was, but no one really wanted to say.”
The resident reportedly admitted to the piano teacher that he attacked the tree out of frustration with resin dripping onto his car. Lime trees produce resin, but when the trunk is cut, the vital flow of nutrients is blocked, leaving the tree to starve to death.
Experts say the way the tree has been cut has destabilised it, forcing the council to put up safety barriers. “It doesn’t look safe, does it?” Resina said. “They need to act quite quickly.”
For Rustic Avenue, the trees are more than just greenery. They have been a part of the street since it was first built over 100 years ago.
“We are a really tight-knit community, and we look out for each other,” said Resina. “We have community events every Christmas, and we decorate the lime trees with Christmas lights.
“A lot of people in the area admire the trees on our road; our anxiety is whether the council will be able to replace them,” she added.
Merton councillor Linda Kirby told the residents that the local highway team had picked up on the matter and was working with the local tree warden. The matter was also referred to the council’s anti-social behaviour unit, and police have confirmed that an investigation is now underway.
“We want to prevent this from happening elsewhere,” said Resina. “People need to know that people care and that you will be identified. I don’t want people to think they can get away with it.”
A spokesperson for Merton Council confirmed the tree cannot be saved: “One of our tree officers visited the site to assess the damage and see if the tree could be saved, following reports from residents. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the damage and safety concerns, we will be removing the tree.”
The council added: “We are working with the police to ensure that appropriate action is taken. We are planting 1,000 new trees this autumn, and we will make sure one of them is planted at this location.”
The LDRS has not been able to contact the resident accused of attacking the tree.
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