Chainsaw-Wielding Vandals Chop Down Monumental Christmas Tree Moments After Villagers Gathered to Switch on Lights

A village in northeast England is reeling after vandals used a chainsaw to cut down a Christmas tree that had stood for more than a decade.

Durham Police said they received reports on Wednesday, Dec. 10, that Shotton Colliery’s Christmas tree had been felled sometime between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. local time — only hours after residents gathered to watch its festive lights switched on.

“This was a disgusting act of mindless vandalism, which has caused huge upset throughout the village at a time when our community should be coming together,” Police Constable David Allan of the Peterlee Neighbourhood Police Team wrote in a Facebook post.

He added that officers are treating the incident seriously and urged anyone with information to come forward. “Someone knows something — please help us find who is responsible,” he wrote.

Local leaders say the damage goes beyond the loss of a holiday centerpiece. Shotton Residents Association chairman Steve Maitland told BBC Radio Tees that the tree has stood in the village for over 10 years as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I — a history, he said, that makes the act especially painful for residents.

“These people who did this — I don’t think they understand the history and the feeling of these things,” Maitland told the station. He described the incident as “mindless vandalism,” noting that some of the people who helped raise funds to establish the tree a decade ago have since died. He said residents are now looking at organizing a new fundraiser to plant a replacement, while efforts are also underway to try to get the damaged tree standing again as quickly as possible.

The local church, St Saviour’s, had earlier posted on Facebook to thank those who attended the village’s Christmas light switch-on and Rev. Shaun Conlon for offering a blessing. Later, the church returned to social media to share photos of the tree after it was cut down and to call for accountability.

“Late last night, it was reported that Shotton Colliery’s Christmas Tree had been cut down,” the church wrote. “This morning a tree surgeon has looked at the damage and said it’s been done with a chainsaw.”

Durham Police are appealing for witnesses and asking anyone who may have captured footage from the area during the reported time window to get in contact.