Five pear trees cut down and burnt in Merry Hill Fruit Field

Five pear trees have been cut down and burnt in Merry Hill Fruit Field, of Merry Hill Road, on two separate dates in late August.

Hertfordshire Constabulary confirmed a pear tree was cut down and laid across another tree before being set alight between 4.45pm on Thursday, August 21 and 12pm on Friday, August 22.

Officers also said that another three pear trees were cut down and burnt between 1pm on Friday, August 22 and 12pm on Sunday, August 24.

Merry Hill Fruit Field is an eight-acre orchard that was planted in 1999, three years after the land was acquired by the Woodland Trust.

Jill Bonell, who regularly tends to the orchard said: "It is very disappointing and extremely annoying apart from anything else. 

"Anybody with any intelligence would realise that green wood like that is not going to burn so why cut it down?

"It is so sad that people have put lots of time and effort to improve it for younger generations and it is just getting ruined.

"It is mindless" 

The 79-year-old told the Watford Observer that volunteers were informed after someone had been down to field and then contacted the police after seeing the damage to the five trees.

No arrests have been made so far for the incident, which the police are investigating as arson. 

She added: "You cannot patrol a rural place like that all of the time. They are talking about putting a security camera there, but apparently they are few and far between and one is not available at the moment.

Last year, volunteers were left fuming after part of the same field was damaged by vandals. 

As well as fire ashes, volunteers found the remains of a walnut tree and a sign that had been uprooted and thrown into a ditch.

The mother-of-one said: "Over the years, we have not had any vandalism, then last year, we had a very similar incident, more or less in the same place.

"It is peaceful down there and is used by dog walkers. It is open to the public and we people to use it. That is what it is for."