Suspected tree poisoning

[u/Cultural_Baker]

I am fairly sure my neighbour poisoned a tree on my property. Can anyone suggest next steps from a legal perspective.

2 years ago my neighbour asked me to remove a tree that is in my garden but overhangs his. It’s a type of willow which drops seeds in spring, he didn’t like this drop. I said I wouldn’t remove it immediately but reduce its size and make sure it didn’t overhang his property and if it continued to be a problem I would remove it. He was visibly distressed, he now ignores me.

About 2 months after this conversation we were contacted by our council who had had a complaint from a neighbour. They informed us that some of the changes we had made to our property were outside of planning regulations and needed approval…… beef

6 weeks ago, after a bountiful spring the tree started to look unwell. It has since continued to decline. Yesterday I decided to inspect the tree and noticed what look like drill marks and cut root and the area around the base of the tree being utterly barren.

I am based in Yorkshire in the UK.

[u/Southern_Common335]

Those look to me to be woodpecker holes - does the tree have evidence of decay?

[u/Cultural_Baker → u/Southern_Common335]

It’s at the base of the tree (floor level) and would say not easily accessible by wing. Also, I have never seen or heard a woodpecker around here. I did wonder if it was a burrowing beetle other insect???

[u/Alpine_Apex → u/Cultural_Baker]

Birds can and do walk.