Shrewsbury Town Council is appealing for information to help catch the person who deliberately destroyed a newly planted hedgerow at Monkmoor River Ground.
Staff from Shrewsbury Town Council’s Countryside Unit, working with a group of volunteers, planted a new hedgerow at Monkmoor River Ground in February. Removing the old metal and barb wire fence, a native hedgerow was planted with oak, hawthorn, field maple and dog wood to give cover and food for wildlife.
The hedge had taken nicely and was in full leaf a couple of weeks ago.
Yesterday [Tues], Town Council staff arrived at the site and were met with a scene of complete destruction to the hedgerow.
Weed killer has been used to spray almost the entire length of hedgerow, killing around 500 newly planted trees, including the taller ‘standards’ that had been grown in pots for several years.
Matt Wilcoxon, countryside and greenspace team leader at Shrewsbury Town Council, said: “After four days of work by a group of five keen volunteers, the hedge has been destroyed by a single act. It is devastating to see this wanton destruction.
“A male with a knapsack sprayer was seen on the site around two weeks ago, but his identity is unknown. If anyone in the area can help us identify this individual, please contact us.”
Helen Ball, town clerk for Shrewsbury Town Council, added: “We would urge anyone with information about this damage to our hedgerow to get in touch with us. As nothing else in the vicinity has been affected, we believe that the area has been deliberately targeted and it is essential we find out who has maliciously sprayed this specific area of the Monkmoor River Ground.
“All reports to the Town Council will be treated in confidence, and we need the public’s help to identify the person who has committed this act of destruction.”
The Town Council can be contacted via telephone on 01743 281010 or e-mail: enquiries@shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk