���˿���

Some 200 stolen trees destined for woodlands have been found on a housing estate in Powys, says the Forestry Commission.

The sitka spruces were spotted in Newtown by a passer-by following reports on Wednesday that several thousand young trees had been taken.

They were found just hours after the commission appealed for help to catch the culprits.

Dyfed-Powys Police have taken away the trees for further investigation.

They were taken from woodlands in Powys and Carmarthenshire before they could be planted, the Forestry Commission said on Wednesday.

Among the species that went missing were western red cedar and Norway spruce.

'Extremely grateful'

The Forestry Commission's Neil Muir said: "These trees were destined for planting in forests in mid Wales as part of our efforts to make our woodlands more resilient to the effects of climate change, as well as providing a range of environmental benefits.

"We're extremely grateful to the member of the public for her help in tracing these trees."

The commission said while it was relatively common for a few trees to be taken, it was rare for so many to have disappeared.

The trees were stored in secure sheds and delivered to forests for planting before being stolen.

The commission said most of the trees were taken from sites in the Llandovery and Welshpool areas.

Meanwhile, Dyfed-Powys Police has said they are investigating a theft of a large number of saplings from Forestry Commission land in Meifod, near Welshpool.