Fallen tree causes serious damage to High Peak war memorial

Residents woke up on Tuesday morning to find that a large oak tree had come down in Whaley Bridge Memorial Park and smashed into the stone monument.

Work is now being carried out by High Peak Borough Council to assess the damage and make the area safe.

John Cooke, chairman of the Whaley Bridge branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “I am sure that the borough council will pull out all the stops to make it safe for Remembrance Day, because it is a special day and especially this year with it being the centenary of the First World War it is even more special.

“I would think there are people that are going that would not normally go with it being the centenary.

“I am sure the council will do everything in their power to make it at least safe because they did a marvellous job in restoring it.”

A spokesperson for High Peak Borough Council confirmed that the fallen tree is being cleared away and additional checks are being undertaken on nearby trees that might have been affected. She added: “We do inspect all the trees in the park regularly and carry out work as necessary where issues are identified. In this case, once the fallen tree has been removed we’ll be assessing any work needed to restore the memorial and, if it’s not too extensive, we’ll aim to complete any repairs in time for Remembrance Sunday.”