High ambition for Christmas tree

Councillors said they did not want Christmas spoiled by vandals

Residents of a Leicestershire village are planning to put a Christmas tree on to the roof of their library after it was moved from its original spot.

The fully-decorated synthetic tree was put up in Groby on Tuesday, but within hours someone had cut the retaining cables and removed the tree.

Parish councillors found the 9ft (2.7m) tall tree behind a wall and had to carry it back through the village.

Now officials want to put the tree out of harm's way from "mindless morons".

Chairman of the parish council Peter Batty said colleagues had worked hard to brighten up the village "after a gloomy year, what with the credit crunch and everything".

Different locations

Mr Batty added: "We arranged for illuminations in the village and the centrepiece is an electronic Christmas tree with LED lights and big star on top of it.

"We put it in on Tuesday and by mid-afternoon it was gone... whoever took it had wire cutters and the tree had disappeared.

"We got a call to say the tree had been removed and then sighted in different locations on Leicester Road.

Mr Batty said a search began to try to find the missing tree, which he thought teenagers had carried off.

"I went out with a fellow councillor and found it hidden behind a wall.

"It was still in one piece, but then to the amusement of passing motorists we had to carry this 9ft decorated tree through the streets with passing motorists beeping their horns and flashing lights."

He said the parish council was speaking with the county council to gain permission to put the tree on the library roof.

"We don't want the mindless morons that have done this to spoil Christmas for everyone."