A hunt has been launched for a man who vandalised a war memorial at one of the country’s most prestigious boarding schools.
CCTV footage shows the man snapping and destroying cherry trees at Loughborough Grammar School in Leicestershire.
They had been planted eight years ago in memory of former pupils and staff who died in conflict, with a plaque at the base of each tree.
The school has released CCTV of the incident, which occurred at 9.30pm on August 25, in a bid to help police track down the man.
The man, who has short hair and was wearing a light-coloured t-shirt, darker shorts and sunglasses, can be seen heading towards the memorial from the school car park.
He then hacks at the trees and attempts to pull them down, one after the after, before fleeing over the high railings.
Jane Harker, Head of External Relations at Loughborough Endowed Schools, said: “Staff and students, past and present, are heartbroken.
“The trees are very precious to everyone in the school community. Each has, at its base, a plaque which carries the names of fallen pupils.
“Their presence in the Quad, at the heart of school life, serves as a constant reminder to us all of the sacrifice they made. To see them snapped at their bases and lying on the ground is devastating.”
A Leicestershire Police spokeswoman told the Standard they were aware of the incident and were investigating.
They are urging anyone with information to contact them on 101, selecting the identification number 6172 and quoting incident number 17000365538.
