Vandals snap Primrose Hill fruit trees in two

Fruit trees planted along a Primrose Hill street to encourage more people to shop in the area have been snapped in two, costing hundreds of pounds in damage.

Four trees lining Regent’s Park Road were broken in half, with the remains tossed into the nearby Primrose Hill park, some time on Friday evening.

Two were beyond repair and had to be replaced with new trees on Monday. The other two will be nurtured in the hope that they can be replanted.

Dozens of Primrose Hill businesses signed up to have a fruit tree outside their shop in June as part of a joint scheme by Transition Primrose Hill, a branch of the national eco community group, and Primrose Hill Community Library in Sharpeshall Street.

Transition member Doro Marden, 65, of Eglon Mews, said: “I felt gutted. It was so horrible to see. People have done it for no reason.”

This is the second time the trees, which bear cherries, apples and other fruit, have been vandalised.

Both the library and Transition Primrose Hill hoped the trees, which are sponsored by local businesses, would make the road look more inviting and encourage more people to visit Primrose Hill’s independent shops.