VANDALS wielding chainsaws hacked down three mature trees - then sped off without them.

The destruction of the 30ft-high maples for no apparent reason has bemused council officers and police in Darlington.

They are hunting for two men who were spotted sawing down the trees by a resident in Sparrow Hall Drive last Thursday.

The men got in a yellow van and drove off between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, leaving the 35-year-old trees blocking a public footpath.

Pete Sherry, tree officer for Darlington Borough Council, said: "I went out to investigate and found that three trees had been felled. We have no idea why it was done.

"It's outrageous and upsetting from our point of view because we fight to plant trees and to save trees throughout the town.

"It's criminal damage and we have got the police involved.

"We are just hoping that somebody comes forward with a registration number for the van."

The trees, which were on a council-owned grass verge, were cleared from the site the following day.

The council has not yet decided how it will replace them, but the cost of doing so, together with the removal operation, could be as much as £2,000.

Mr Sherry said: "We want to replace them but we are also concerned that whatever we replace them with will suffer the same fate.

"We do have a policy to replace trees, but in this instance we'll have to look at where to replace them."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 0845 6060 365 or the council on (01325) 388777.