A CIDER maker has been left stumped after 21 fruit trees were chopped in half by vandals.

Steve Cooper, owner of Tardebigge Cider on Alcester Road, returned from holiday on Tuesday night (October 10) to discover all but one of his orchard trees had been vandalised.

The trees were planted with help from local school children in 2012 to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Children often return to pick them, but it may take up to 10 years for the orchards to recover and produce their apples, plums and pears again.

Mr Cooper, who is also a councillor for Tutnall and Cobley Parish Council, said: “Over the last few years I have created a little pocket park behind Tardebigge in conjunction with the parish council and in 2012 we put the Jubilee Orchard in.

“The year after we had 12 trees damaged by travellers.

“Things were going well this year and the children have been able to pick apples.

“Now some unpleasant people have chopped them down leaving nothing but little stumps.

“They have been chopped with tools so it looks deliberate.

“I’m greatly saddened. I just do not get why anybody would want to cut down fruit trees which are there to make the community look better and for the children to pick them.

“I do not understand why anybody would want to do that. It is baffling and stupid.

“The idea of it was that the children will be able to pick from apple trees, plum trees and pear trees.

“I do not get why anybody would want to ruin something which was pretty and functional.

“It takes the trees about five years to grow but they will probably need another five years on top to recover from this.”

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 101 quoting 22/2662/17.