Council teams remove Portobello's bonfire Christmas trees

A COMMUNITY beach bonfire on Portobello beach on Saturday evening may be less spectacular than last year after council officials removed dozens of abandoned trees from the sand.

A child inspects the trees before last year's event.

For the past couple of years a new tradition - The Grand Burning of the Christmas Trees - has sprung with old Christmas trees being ‘planted’ in the sand before being set alight at the end of the season’s festivities. Dozens had already been left in preparation, however, some residents were said to be dismayed to spot a council truck uplifting trees from the beach yesterday morning.

Ali Grant took to social media writing: “Bad news for all you firestarters...the council has just stolen all the trees off the beach :-c”

A city council spokeswoman said the decision to uplift approximately 30 trees had been taken after they received a complaint that the trees were being blown about by the wind.

“If we hadn’t removed them we would have been criticised,” the spokeswoman added.

However, Jenny O’Donnell, manager of the Beach House café on Portobello promenade, said that six Christmas trees which had been in front of the café for few days were all still there yesterday afternoon.

“The bonfire brings the community together.

“I don’t see any harm in it.”