Vandals have ripped up more than 300 newly-planted trees in a night time wrecking spree at a Bradford beauty spot.

Young oak trees, hawthorns and willows - together worth more than £1,000 - were uprooted and strewn around by hooligans on the rampage at Pitty Beck, Allerton.

Local people, who are trying to preserve the valley for future generations after securing a cash injection from Bradford Council to pay for improvements, were appalled by the vandalism.

Paul Rawnsley, environment co-ordinator for ALLERT, the area's management committee made up of local residents from the estate overlooking the valley, said no-one could believe it.

"We have all been absolutely appalled. So much work is going into making this valley a place that everyone can enjoy, and then this sort of thing happens,'' he added. "It makes everything seem so pointless if, whenever anything is planted, it is pulled up."

"It took more than four hours to replant the trees. Many were quite small, but some of the willows were more than six feet tall. It is heartbreaking when you think this is all being done for local people to enjoy."

He said he would be meeting police today to discuss how to tackle vandalism at the site. He believes the culprits are schoolchildren and hopes the police will visit schools and educate offenders.

"We are also looking at ways to take legal action against the offenders for criminal damage," he said.

Mr Rawnsley also fears the repeated damage could affect future funding and intends to raise his concerns with Bradford Council.

A spokesman said it could not comment on whether funding would be hit.

The picturesque valley is in the process of being improved through a £25,000 grant from Bradford Council, which is paying for a range of measures including the planting of more than 6,000 trees and shrubs.

Mr Rawnsley said that spates of vandalism at the valley were nothing new, and every day at least 30 trees were ripped out. But he said he had never had to replant so many at once before.

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