'Devastation' as trees planted in memory of Luton lives lost to the Covid pandemic are vandalised

‘Mindless’ vandals have destroyed trees planted to honour the lives of Luton people who died during the Covid pandemic.

All 26 trees planted at Stopsley Common as part of Luton’s Peace Garden initiative have been cut down and vandalised.

But the community is determined to come together to replant them – and is appealing for people to donate.

Sujel Miah, founder of the Peace Garden Initiative, said: "We are shocked and saddened to see all the trees that were planted in Stopsley Common during the cold, ice and snow have been vandalised and cut down. We will not let this stop us, we will replant and continue to plant.”

Now Luton Rising has said it will help pay to replant the damaged trees.

Cllr Javeria Hussain, chair of Luton Rising, said: “Luton Rising has been supporters of the peace garden from its outset. It’s a wonderful community-led initiative to remember those in our town who we sadly lost during the pandemic and is a great example of the compassionate and caring nature of Luton’s communities. It has brought communities together to support and help each other through periods of grief.

“We were absolutely lost for words when we found out about the mindless vandalism of these trees that were of such significance to grieving families. We wanted to show our support to those behind the project and the families by offering to contribute towards the planting of replacements.”

There was also an outpouring of support for the project, with people voicing their disgust on social media.

A spokesperson for Luton Council tweeted: “We share your sadness, especially for the grieving families. Vandalising trees planted in memory of loved ones who have died is beyond belief. There are few words, except how proud we are of this community initiative.”

Ryad Khodabocus, head of community relations and development at Luton Council of Faiths, added: "As faith communities and people of no particular faith, we are saddened by this incident. This will only make us stronger and more resilient. We have strong charity and community partnerships. Our aim is to create an environment of friendship and community coherence centred around human dignity and respect diversity as part of our human and nature ecology".

If you would like to donate to the replanting of the Stopsley Common trees, visit their JustGiving page. To find out more, visit the Peace Gardens website.

Anyone who wants to get involved in the replanting can email [email protected]