Polish minister's trees cut down in possible 'revenge act'

Someone has taken a chainsaw to dozens of cedars and spruces belonging to Poland's environment minister, police said Tuesday, in what media speculated was a tit-for-tat move for a controversial tree-cutting law.

The unknown perpetrators cut down 33 trees -- which were three to seven metres (10 to 23 feet) in height -- on Jan Szyszko's private property in the northern town of Tuczno overnight Sunday to Monday, local police spokeswoman Beata Budzyn told AFP.

Local media and environmentalists believe the incident may have been an act of revenge against a law introduced by Szyszko which since January has allowed homeowners to knock down trees on their property without requesting permission.

"This may have been a desperate move, a cry of desperation from someone who snapped and wanted to express his anger this way over everything that is happening in Poland," said environmentalist Adam Bohdan.

Homeowners previously had to ask for authorisation from local environmental officials to cut down trees when the diameter exceeded a certain size.

Critics say the "Szyszko law" has resulted in a massive number of trees being cut down around the country.

Environmental groups have also condemned Szyszko for having allowed controversial logging in the ancient Bialowieza forest, a World Heritage site that includes some of Europe's last primeval woodland.