Vandals cut down tress on Balham High Road Post Reply

[Community Editor]

South Londoners have been left in shock after a vandal or group of vandals began cutting down adult trees lining a main road for no apparent reason, leaving some felled sections of tree simply lying in the street and taking others away.

Balham residents awoke last Friday (January 6) in horror to find multiple trees along Balham High Road which provide shade and greenery to the bustling main road in the summer had been cut down overnight.


This particularly large tree near Ravenstone Street was nearly as tall as the buildings it stood in front of before it was cut down (Image: Twitter: @balhamnewsie)

Police are investigating the vandalism and will assess any further evidence that they receive but as yet they have no suspects. The trees cut down by the mystery vandals stood at the junctions with Trinity Crescent, Upper Tooting Park, and Ravenstone Street. All that remain of the trees now are their stumps.


This tree had stood opposite the junction at Trinity Crescent on Balham High Road (Image: Twitter: @balhamnewsie)

A spokesperson for community group Beautify Balham said: "This is shocking and saddening. As a voluntary group, who do their best to make Balham greener, we were angry and dismayed to see this mindless vandalism. We hope whoever did this gets caught and stopped."

A spokesperson for the Met Police added: "On Friday, 6 January, police received a report of criminal damage after a number of trees were reported cut down in Balham High Road. Officers carried out enquires, however no suspect was identified. Any further information will be assessed."


This mature tree was cut down at the junction with Upper Tooting Park with part of the felled tree left in the road (Image: Twitter: @balhamnewsie)

Story from: https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-lo ... r-25933904

[juliantenniscoach]

What a bizarre story.  Vandals with chainsaws?  Doesn't it sound more like a contractor who had messed up and kept quiet?  Maybe not but it's a weird one.

[Goldhawk]

The tree cut down on the corner of Ravenstone St and Balham High Road seems pretty dodgy given the corner building is currently being redeveloped from commercial use to flats
They will have a lot more light now without the tree 
Dubious!

[Starr]

There was also one tree cut and left on Mayford Road nearer Nightingale Lane

[LastMumStanding]

I suspect there is more to this story too - a tree was also cut down in Canford Rd SW11 over Xmas without the usual pre-warning of a council sign. On Friday I then saw tree fellers lopping brutally at a tree in Buckmaster/Auckland Rd - wearing hi-viz vests but again no sign and there were still cars parked all along the street. One branch fell and bounced hitting and scratching a car underneath.

[BalhamBorders]

With energy costs being so high, l suspect the main part of the tree trunks were being used or sold as firewood for wood burning stoves or fireplaces. It may be easier to get away with than driving onto the Commons to carry out the same thefts. So, I think this may be more about theft than vandalism. Even the discarded section of the tree would not make much firewood but the main trunk section would. Hope there's some CCTV footage to catch the perpetrators.

[Starr]

Buy they left the cut tree there so they definitely didn't use the wood. It's absolutely baffling why anyone would do this!