IRATE elderly residents in Gourock have blasted ‘vandals’ who hacked down seven trees at their sheltered housing complex.

People living at Riverside Gardens were stunned to waken one morning and discover the blossoming rowan trees had been hacked away, leaving them looking like sticks poking out of the ground.

Residents are enraged because the trees provided a beautiful focal point for the complex and attracted many birds and animals which they enjoyed watching from the nearby lounge area.

Officials from complex operator River Clyde Homes (RCH) and local authority Inverclyde Council say they are not responsible for cutting back the trees — and the housing association has reported the matter to police.

Senior citizens at Riverside hope someone can help track down the culprits.

Resident Jim Hunter, a former Inverclyde councillor and local authority parks boss for 30 years, told the Tele: “Someone came in and butchered the trees.

“They were covered in beautiful berries and the birds went to them. Some of the people here can’t get about much and the only leisure they get is the enjoyment of sitting watching things go by.

“One of their favourite things is to watch the birds in the trees but someone has left them a terrible mess and they can’t do that. They were a very popular feature. This is pure vandalism.” The trees were chopped down about a month ago early on a Saturday morning.

The sawn off branches have been discarded and left to rot.

Mr Hunter said: “They were deliberately planted well apart so they didn’t block anyone’s view. They weren’t doing any harm.

“Rowans are very special trees — it’s called the witch’s tree — and they were very special to us here at Riverside Gardens.

“You can’t walk into someone else’s property and cut down trees. I’m really, really angry about this.” Bosses at RCH are equally unhappy and say they have referred the matter to police.

Russell Smith, cleaner greener neighbourhoods manager, said: “We have informed the police about criminal damage to River Clyde Homes’ property.

“Our cleaner, greener neighbourhoods staff will also write to all residents in the vicinity about the need to contact us before undertaking any landscape or maintenance works.”