Newly planted trees vandalised

THIRTY newly planted saplings have been torn out of the town hall garden in Paphos and thrown on the ground.

Green Party members planted the trees only two weeks ago. Member Andreas Evlavis said: This uprooting of the newly planted trees is scandalous vandalism, and we will try and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

He confirmed that thirty-two new wooden stakes had been purchased and the trees had been replanted. “It’s terrible that nature is suffering and caught in the middle of what seems to be a dispute over the garden,” he said.

The Green party was talking about the dispute between the Church and the municipality since the town hall grounds were rented on a long lease from the Church, which has now expired.

Evlavis added that he believed representatives of the Church had placed a call to the police prior to the planting ceremony to try and prevent it from taking place. But the police response was to state that ‘it wasn’t a bad thing to plant trees.’

The Church is claiming the right to build a new cathedral for Paphos in part of the gardens, a move that Paphos municipality is contesting. They say the area should be kept as a garden for the people of the town to enjoy..

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