Vandals have targeted mature woodland near Beaumont Park in Huddersfield, hacking down and removing two trees but leaving behind a third as it was two large to carry.
Now members of the Holme and Colne Valley Beagles, which owns the 40-acre woodland site off Butternab Road, have urged local residents to report any suspicious activity in the area, long considered a beauty spot.
The Holme Valley Beagles is more than a century old. Colne Valley Beagles was formed in 1951 and the two groups amalgamated in 2017.
Joint master of the hunt Bruce Hall said the area is classified as ancient woodland and that all the trees are covered by a blanket tree preservation order issued by Kirklees Council.
But that didn’t stop someone entering the land - which houses the group’s kennels and a huntsman’s cottage - and using an axe to chop down the trees.
Mr Hall said: “We were walking on the footpath through the woodland when we came across the damage.
“We are not allowed to chop down trees or even trim them without permission so we were very angry when we discovered what had happened.
“We noticed two trees that had been hacked away and removed. Then there was a bigger one that had been felled and left on the ground.
“They had been felled using an axe which obviously makes less noise than a chainsaw.
“Coincidentally someone removed a chain and a padlock from a gate leading into the woods on Tuesday.
“The fact that whoever has done this took two trees away makes me feel that it’s for a log burner. They see it as a free source of timber.”
He added: “There are lots of people that walk through these woods and enjoy it. It’s not really an extension of Beaumont Park but it is a local amenity and has been so for more than a hundred years. It should not be spoiled in this way.”
The matter has been reported to the police and to Kirklees Council and the group is now looking through CCTV and trail camera footage to identify the culprits.
Anyone who saw people removing timber from the site is asked to contact Mr Hall on brucephall@gmail.com
