A village’s Memorial Garden has been destroyed.

Corbridge in Bloom had planted a Memorial Garden of trees, some in 2020 and others earlier this year, on the Chains green behind the Parish Hall.

This week, seven young trees and shrubs were snapped and uprooted.

Sasha Brookes, a member of Corbridge in Bloom, described the incident as “really heartbreaking”.

“Two of the trees were really quite grown,” she said.

County Councillor for Corbridge, Nick Oliver, said the damage is expected to be worth around £500.

He said: “Corbridge in Bloom do so much volunteer work to keep our village looking beautiful and I am particularly dismayed that the Memorial Garden they planted has been wilfully damaged in this mindless act of vandalism.

“This has been reported to Northumbria Police and I’d urge anybody with any information to call 101.”

Coun. Oliver said discussions about replacing the trees are ongoing.

Chairman of Corbridge Parish Council, William Clouston, said: “I am appalled by this vandalism.

“The parish council, working together with Corbridge in Bloom, will rectify the damage.

“The vandals will not win.”

Coun. Clouston added the parish council have a reserve stock of trees on hand, of which some of them they will use.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “We received a report that a number of trees had been damaged on St Helen’s Street, Corbridge.

“The damage is believed to have occurred at some point between 11.30am on Sunday May 23, and 9.45am May 25.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the Tell Us Something page on our website, quoting log 264 250521.”

Corbridge in Bloom has won a number of prizes, including at county, regional and national level.