Six Congleton fruit trees which have been ripped out the ground after only being planted on Saturday are safe and will be replanted.

Congleton Sustainability Group and Cheshire Wildlife Trust have formed a partnership that aims to plant more trees in Congleton.

On Saturday, 20 adults and 14 children, many from Dane Valley Beavers, came together to plant 17 fruit trees at a site on Padgbury Lane.

However, this morning a member of the Trees for Congleton group found that six of the planted trees had been pulled out of the ground and thrown into the hedge at Padgbury Lane.

Volunteer Patti Pinto told Congleton Nub News: "We are very disappointed, especially for the tree planters that were out on Saturday.

"But the trees are safe and they will be replanted, possibly on Sunday depending on how we get on at Marshall Grove.

"We have no idea who has done this vandalism, but it isn't going to stop us."

Planting at Marshall Grove play area will take place on Sunday from 10am to 3pm.

The partnership between Congleton Sustainability Group and Cheshire Wildlife Trust has support from Congleton Town Council and Cheshire East Council as it embarks on an ambitious plan to plant a tree for every person in Congleton over the next five years as part of its Trees for Congleton project.

This will see over 30,000 trees being planted in the town and surrounding areas.

The partnership has hit the ground running, gaining funding and permission to plant 650 trees in greenspaces within the town. These sites were selected following consultation with the public at the inaugural Green Fayre back in October.

The partnership has been successful in finding initial funding from the William Dean Trust and from the Congleton Partnership.

This money has been spent to plant in three areas in Congleton: The Quinta Play Area, Marshall Grove play area and Padgbury Lane (opposite the fuel station).

Earlier in the month at the Quinta play area, adults and the whole of Year five from the Quinta Primary School planted five trees and 168 tree whips.

A local landscape architect has drawn up spatial plans that maintain aspects of the site that are great for residents and visitors, whilst also making space for trees.

The partnership has taken careful consideration about which species of tree to plant in which space, reflecting what woodlands would naturally occur across Congleton.

Contact the group via [email protected]