VANDALS have hacked down four newly planted trees in Twickenham, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage - one of them less than 50 yards from a police station.

One of the trees snapped in two on Saturday night had been planted that morning in a special ceremony outside Twickenham Police Station.

Richmond upon Thames Council no longer has a budget for planting new trees and the sappling, planted in London Road, was the 50th tree planted by the York House Society as part of their tree sponsoring programme.

It had been paid for with money from Twickenham RFU and the White Swan Pub on Twickenham riverside.

Society member Robert Woodward, who organised the planting, said he was deeply saddened by the vandalism. He told the Times: "You've got to feel sorry for people whose social and intellectual life consists of vandalising the best elements of the environment.

"It says a certain amount about our policing that these little thugs feel they can commit acts of vandalism with impunity 100 yards away from the police station.

"It says even more about their parents who let them out, without supervision, to run riot in Twickenham on a Saturday night."

Last Friday residents found two saplings on Moormead had been hacked in half with what appears to have been an axe.

Another tree on the St Margarets Road has also been vandalised.

Tom Clementson, manager of the White Swan Public House, said he thought the tree vandalism was indicative of a deeper crime problem in the area. He said: "We always try and support local charitable causes so something like this is really sad.

"Ever since I moved to London, I always liked living in this area because it had a low crime rate and was such a beautiful place.

"But the last few weeks judging by the amount of crime in the newspaper, it seems to have really turned into a bad area. I've also had a lot of friends who have been victims of crimes recently."

Mr Clementson was amazed at the brazenness of the hooligans concerned. He said: "If you're going to do something like that opposite a police station it's asking for trouble."

The London Road tree cost about £80 to plant but York House Society members are determined that the vandals should not win the day. If the tree is too damaged to re-grow, it will be re-planted and the tree sponsoring scheme will continue.

Cllr Katie Gent, Richmond upon Thames Council's executive member for the environment, said: "This scheme is very worthwhile.

"It ensures that we have a green and leafy borough. A lot of hard work goes into the scheme by the members of the York House Society, local businesses and council officers. This mindless vandalism is both a shock and a shame."