A visually impaired man has said the vandalism of a memorial tree dedicated to his beloved former guide dog felt like “someone destroying a grave of a family member”.
Paul Harman, 73, planted the sapling at Norbury Park, Croydon, in memory of his former guide dog, Star, a Labrador-retriever cross who he said “gave him his life back”.
Croydon Council has now committed to replacing the tree, with the Mayor insisting “this is not how the vast majority behave in Croydon”.
Paul discovered the felled tree during one of his regular walks around Norbury Park last Sunday. “To find it like that just broke my heart,” he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
“I know the person who did it wouldn’t have known what the tree represented to me. It is just pure and utter vandalism,” he said, but added: “I don’t know what the police can do. It has also upset a lot of people, because they knew it was Star’s tree.”
On X, local councillor Appu Srinivasan described the incident as “absolutely heartbreaking and completely unacceptable”.
“There is simply no justification for vandalising something that was planted for the enjoyment of our whole community,” he added.
This is not the first incident of vandalism at Norbury Park. Last summer, the LDRS revealed how vandals tore up park’s cricket pitch, in what one resident described as “a proper demolition job”.
Lisa Patient, Treasurer of Friends of Norbury Park, also spoke to the LDRS following the recent incident. “As a good friend of Paul I am so saddened that someone would deliberately destroy this tree,” she said. “It was a beautiful cherry tree and made a lovely focal point in the park.”
Paul purchased the sapling nearly three years ago through the Trees for Streets scheme and dedicated it to Star, scattering her ashes around the tree.
“I know it sounds silly but when it blossomed in the spring, to me it was Star saying ‘I’m alright’,” he told the LDRS. Paul has also taken extra efforts to ensure the tree survived the recent hot weather, watering it every day during his walks with his current guide dog, York.
Following the incident, Croydon’s Executive Mayor Jason Perry said: “I was angry and deeply saddened to hear that this cherry tree had been deliberately vandalised. Knowing that Paul planted it in memory of his guide dog, Star, makes this senseless act particularly cruel.
“This is not how the vast majority behave in Croydon, and I know the whole community will share my disgust at what has happened.”
Croydon Council has committed to replacing Star’s tree during the next planting season and will work with Paul and the Friend’s group.
Star developed cancer before her sixth birthday and passed away following an unsuccessful bout of chemotherapy. Paul described Star as an especially friendly dog, but always professional when her work required it.
“At night Star not only got on the bed, she would get in the bed and pull the covers over herself,” Paul recalled. “All dogs’ personalities are different.
“They are trained to be disobedient though, if I tried to cross a road and a car was coming she wouldn’t move. When their harness goes on they know they are working. I put my total trust in them.”
As a retiree, Paul now volunteers for the Guide Dogs charity. He said this was important to him as the organisation receives no core government funding, while training a guide dog over two years can cost up to £102,000.
