Chainsaw-wielding vandal targets toilets and trees at Anderwood car park, near Burley

A CHAINSAW-wielding vandal damaged the public toilets and killed two trees at a car park near Burley.

A walker, who asked to remain anonymous, came across the damage at Anderwood and told the A&T he “could not believe” his eyes.

He added: “It was completely mad. The trees had nearly been sawn right through and were in a dangerous condition.

“A railing around the toilets had been damaged and inside the toilets several doors had been almost sawn in two.”

The man and his wife are regular visitors to the woodland and came across the scenes of destruction on 12th November.

He added: “I have used a chainsaw in the past and realised at once that what had been done to the trees was not the work of a tree surgeon.

“I could not believe my eyes, to be honest. It looked like someone had gone mad with a chainsaw which is an incredibly dangerous thing to do.

"It’s a wonder they did not hurt themselves.”

The man contacted Forestry England which sent staff to investigate and found the trees were beyond saving.

In a statement it said: “This act of vandalism has destroyed two mature trees and made the toilet block unsafe and completely unusable.

“We have very limited resources to look after the whole Forest and its wildlife.

"Destructive acts of vandalism like this put a further strain on our budgets and it will take some time to fully repair the area affected.”