The tree is protected and anyone found to be killing it could face a fine of up to £20,000

A woman has discovered dozens of holes drilled into the base of her tree and she believes a neighbour may be to blame.

Jill Sarchet, 51, became suspicious when leaves on the 200-year-old sycamore turned brown.

She discovered around 50 holes drilled into the base of the 100ft tree at the end of her home in Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood, near Burnley, Lancashire.

It is thought a trespasser is sneaking into her property under the cover of darkness and injecting poison into the holes.


Arborists now say there is a very high chance the tree, which is protected by a Tree Preservation Order Council, will die.

Mrs Sarchet said the situation has left her ‘extremely distressed’ (Picture: SWNS)

The mum-of-two found more than 50 holes drilled into her beloved tree (Picture: SWNS)

Mother-of-two Mrs Sarchet said: ‘This behaviour is totally unwarranted and unnecessary.



‘This is one of the oldest and most important trees in Burnley and has been here a lot longer than the person responsible for this.

‘The whole situation has left me extremely distressed.

‘To think that someone is creeping into my garden either when I’m not at home or at night to carry out this kind of malicious behaviour is devastating.

‘I now lay in bed wondering if someone is out there. I’m on edge when it’s dark and I need to let the dog out into the garden.

‘My daughter has been scared to sleep in her bedroom, thinking someone could be just outside her window.’

A local councillor counted 52 holes drilled into the base of the tree (Picture: SWNS)

There is a very high chance the tree will die, according to tree experts (Picture: SWNS)

Anyone who wilfully destroys or damages a tree that is subject to a Tree Preservation Order can be taken to court and fined up to £20,000.

In serious cases, a trial can go to crown court and, if convicted, the offender is liable to an unlimited fine.

Mrs Sarchet is being supported by Burnley councillor and former Liberal Democrat MP Gordon Birtwistle.

He said: ‘I was absolutely outraged when I heard about what had been going on.

‘Jill then invited me over to see for myself and I counted 52 five-inch holes had been drilled into the base of the tree.

The sycamore is the subject of a Tree Preservation Order from Burnley Council (Picture: SWNS)

‘This is disgusting behaviour, and I am currently liaising with the council to establish what the next form of action should be.

‘It is beyond belief that whoever is responsible for this hasn’t considered the environmental implications killing this tree will have.

‘Killing this tree could be equated to killing the future for your children – it takes tons of carbon out of the atmosphere.

‘What would happen if someone went around doing this to every tree they come across? We’d be left in a very bad position.’

Mrs Sarchet has now spent over £500 on a fence around the back of her garden to deter the vandals.

The 51-year-old said she noticed something was wrong with the tree when it started turning brown (Picture: SWNS)

She said: ‘My elderly father and my son have spent the last few weekends putting the fence up.

‘This should not only offer us some more security but may also help any further damage to the tree, which could already be irreparable.’

Tree expert Greg Thompson travelled to Burnley from Cumbria after he was contacted by Jill to undertake an assessment.

He warned of a ‘very high chance the tree will need to be removed’, before adding: ‘The tree may die completely in the next few months.’

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