Clocaenog Forest Christmas tree thief pays compensation

A man who stole a Christmas tree from a forest has agreed to pay compensation to a red squirrel conservation trust.

The driver was caught by a trail camera leaving Clocaenog Forest, near Ruthin, with the tree on his car's roof earlier this week.

At the time, North Wales Police said it would be "calling" on him soon.

The force tweeted that the matter had been dealt with through a community resolution after discussions with Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Rural crime team manager Rob Taylor explained how taking trees from forests can be a crime under the theft act, with punishments varying.

A community resolution is sometimes used to deal with minor offences such as these.

This involves agreement between the parties involved, such as the landowner and the person who took the tree.

The 15,000 acre (6,000 hectare) Clocaenog Forest lies in Conwy and Denbighshire and is home to a red squirrel population, with the thief agreeing to donate an unspecified amount to helping the animal.

"Our tree thief has today been dealt with via a Community Resolution after discussion with @NatResWales," the force tweeted.

"He has to pay suitable compensation which has now been donated to the Red Squirrel Conservation Trust at Clocaenog where he stole the tree."

Natural Resources Wales urged people to help protect Wales' woodlands by only buying Christmas trees from local suppliers.

It also highlighted recent thefts of young conifer trees from NRW-managed woodland in Afan Forest in Neath Port Talbot, and Alwen Forest near Ruthin.

"Forests are a vital part of Wales' biodiversity and play a key role in the conservation of endangered species such as the red squirrel and support the local economy through its timber production," said senior land management officer James Roseblade.