Two men have been arrested after a Christmas tree that had stood in a village for more than 10 years was cut down, hours after its lights were switched on.
The tree, at Shotton Colliery, County Durham, was felled sometime between 10pm and 11pm GMT on Wednesday.
Two men were arrested following an appeal by Peterlee Neighborhood Policing Team.
Police said officers were in the process of charging and remanding a 26-year-old man for criminal damage, while a 23-year-old man was released under investigation.
On Friday, Shotton Residents Association president Steve Maitland said the tree had been erected as a memorial to fallen soldiers in the First World War.
He told BBC Radio Tees that the public were making a cover for the base of the tree, so they could screw it back on as quickly as possible, “just to get us through Christmas”.
