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The council has appealed to users of Haverhill's Recreation Ground not to damage the trees which surround it.

Notices have gone up from St Edmundsbury Borough Council asking people not to damage the bark of the trees and to report any activity of that kind which they witness.

Haverhill police are also carrying out increased patrols in the area at the request of the council.

The moves come after several trees have suffered bark-stripping. The most significant was one in the established avenues, which has since had to be felled.

The tree, on the corner of Clements Lane and Camps Road, had most of its bark hacked off in early spring and, as a result, never came into bud.

The council had it felled last week, but concern has now been raised about some of the smaller trees planted more recently inside the avenues.

Several have had large areas of bark stripped from them, while others have been cut or gouged.

Sgt Sarah Bartley of Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team confirmed the council had contacted the police about the situation ladt week, and made them aware of the signs.

"Damaging the trees is a criminal offence," she said, "so the council made us aware of the signs as they may lead to a need for action by us."

She said the council intended to put fencing protection around the smaller trees.

"We have had a couple of complaints from members of the public about damage to the trees," she said. "We shall be increasing patrols in the area and working with the council to deal with this."