A Christmas tree that had stood in a village for more than a decade has been chopped down hours after having its lights switched on.

The tree, in Shotton Colliery in County Durham, was felled between 10pm and 11pm on Wednesday. It is believed to have been cut down deliberately. Police are appealing for witnesses.

Steve Maitland, the chair of the Shotton Residents Association, said the tree had been put up as a monument to soldiers who died in the first world war.

“These people who did this – I don’t think they understand the history and the feeling of these things,” he told the BBC.

He described the incident as an act of “mindless vandalism”.

“The Christmas trees lights were turned on at about 5pm and 80 to 100 people turned up to watch. Hours later, this has happened,” he said. “Whoe

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