A CHRISTMAS tree in Rishton was vandalised just hours after the lights were switched on.

Two six-feet-tall trees were planted last month in a bid to cut the cost of Christmas and were branded ‘laughable’ by some residents.

Now councillors are facing a repair bill after lighting cables were ripped out of an electrical junction box at the tree in Parker Street, where Hyndburn mayor Judith Addison and MP Graham Jones had earlier attended a switch-on.

Local councillor, Ken Moss said he was driving home at 10am on Friday night, less than four hours later, and saw the lights off.

He said: “I’m disappointed it happened and I felt gutted. We have taken a lot of flak over the tree but when it was lit up, everybody said how nice it looked.

“The mayor said it was the nicest tree in Hyndburn so for somebody to come and do that smacks to me of, ‘this is what I think of the council’s tree’.

“It makes me feel sad that somebody in the town felt that strongly, they want to spoil it for everybody else.”

Coun Moss said locals had already come forward with suspects’ names, and said he hopes CCTV in the vicinity will catch the vandal in the act.

He said: “Not a lot gets to me, I have to say, but this did.”

Deputy leader of Hyndburn Council, Coun Clare Pritchard, said: “I think it’s dismaying. Other people go to a lot of trouble to plant these trees and then others see fit to wreck their good work.

“It’s the people of Rishton that lose out, nobody else, and it’s a shame.

“But we won’t let it dampen our Christmas spirit.”

Engineers were called to fix the lights, but a police spokesman yesterday said they had no record of the crime being reported.

Residents with information about the vandalism can call police on 101, or report it anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.