Prince William 'deliberately' poisoning trees to cause UK 'criminal damage'

Prince William’s Dartmoor estate faces a fresh blow as conservationists condemn the deliberate poisoning of young willow trees, calling it 'wanton criminal damage.'

The trees, planted on Duchy of Cornwall land as part of an ambitious project to curb peat erosion, store carbon, and reduce flood risk, have become the target of a criminal investigation, confirmed by a Natural England spokesperson, who declined to offer further details.

Environmental campaigner and author Guy Shrubsole slammed the attack, telling The Guardian, “This is an outrageous act of sabotage, one which points a dagger at the heart of efforts to restore nature in this part of the country. 

Dartmoor’s commons are virtually treeless already, a result of centuries of overgrazing by sheep. 

To see even these tentative efforts at restoring trees subjected to deliberate vandalism is deeply disturbing, as is the failure so far to uncover the culprit.”

Experts warn Dartmoor is at a critical crossroads. “Do we choose to breathe life back into this landscape, or let it die?” said one campaigner, highlighting the importance of the moor’s peatlands, which act as vital carbon stores but have suffered decades of degradation from drainage and burning.

The targeted trees were planted to combat erosion, with their intricate root systems anchoring the fragile soil and preventing it from being washed away. 

Local authorities and environmental groups have voiced outrage over the attack.

The Duchy of Cornwall expressed shock, with communications head Emma Magge saying, “We are committed to working with our partners to secure a better future for Dartmoor, and this recent action does not represent the collective commitment of Estate's community to achieve this."