Shock as 50 trees stolen from York riverside

Thieves have stolen 50 trees from a York project.

The crime has left people shocked and saddened.

St Nicks has revealed the young trees were taken from Millennium Field. This is an area of open space by the River Ouse on the Fishergate side of the Millennium Bridge. 

They said on Facebook: “We are saddened to report that 50 trees have been stolen from Millennium Field recently.

“The trees had only been planted the week before and whoever took them carefully replaced the supports and guards to try and disguise their thievery.”

St Nicks, a registered charity run mainly by volunteers, urged anyone who saw anything suspicious to call police on 101.

Volunteers have been planting wildflowers and trees on Millennium Field to improve the area around the river.

The news sparked dismay. Friends of Rowntree Park replied: “Absolutely shocked and saddened too. Hopefully some one has seen or heard something.”

Another supporter said: “Who on earth steals trees???”

St Nicks began as ‘Friends of St Nicholas Fields’ in the 1990s, when a team transformed a former landfill site off Rawdon Avenue into a thriving nature reserve.

The team runs projects, events and services from St Nicks Environment Centre which help to make York more sustainable.