A community forest in Oxfordshire has fallen victim to criminal damage.

The Stanford in the Vale Community Woodland represents a recent addition to the landscape, established at the boundary of Stanford in the Vale village as part of the broader Oxfordshire Woodland Project.

The initiative was conceived to serve dual purposes: offering a sanctuary for wildlife and providing residents with a lasting communal asset.

However, this week the site suffered at the hands of individuals seeking to cause destruction.

Councillor Lee Evans expressed his reaction in a written communication, stating that he was appalled to learn of the vandalism affecting the Stanford in the Vale Community Woodland.

He noted that volunteers, operating under the name Stanford Woodlanders, had invested considerable time and labour into establishing hundreds of trees throughout the location.

The intention behind the project was to enhance the local environment and establish a pathway connecting wildlife habitats.

The woodland’s layout incorporated open tracks and clearings suitable for walking and wildlife observation, boundary shrubbery, informal groupings of trees rather than uniform lines, and designated zones for ecological diversity and community activities.

Mr Evans, who represents Kingston and Stanford on the council, remarked that certain individuals recently entered the area with the explicit purpose of causing damage and negating the work carried out by volunteers.

He described the incident as disgraceful and urged anyone with relevant information to contact either himself or the parish council.

He expressed optimism that volunteers would unite once more to restore the site, adding that he would gladly assist with the recovery effort.

Mr Evans also suggested that those responsible for the damage should be the first to offer their assistance in putting things right, describing this as a minimum gesture of apology to the Woodlanders and the village.