Overview
- Durham Police said two men, aged 23 and 26, were arrested, and the 26-year-old has been charged with criminal damage and remanded to appear in court.
- The tree was felled between 10pm and 11pm on December 10, just hours after a community lights switch-on, in what officers called deliberate, mindless vandalism.
- Crime scene investigators examined the site, and police appealed for CCTV or doorbell footage and information to be sent to PC David Allan, quoting reference CRI00653425.
- The decade-old spruce served as a village landmark and war memorial, and residents moved to temporarily re-erect it and plan fundraising for a permanent replacement.
- Local church and residents reported the cut appeared to be made with a chainsaw or circular saw, and some cited wider concerns about anti-social behaviour in the area.