A 1,600-year-old yew tree is being slowly destroyed by village vandals.

Yobs have stripped the tree, which stands in St Mary's churchyard, Iffley, Oxford, of 20ft of bark in recent weeks.

And villagers fear if they carry on the tree will die.

Simon King, vice-chairman of the Friends of Iffley, said: "A group of boys has been stripping it down to the bare wood - you have to see it to believe it.

"It's just an amazingly malicious thing to have done. They are destroying the bark, which is essential for the tree's health. It would have taken a lot of work - it's a deliberate attack. All we want is some way of telling people that they really are wrecking it. It's major vandalism. The villagers that know about it are really shocked.

"The last thing people want to do is start patrolling the village to protect the trees. It's a shame that it survived the Norman conquest and then gets its first attack in the year 2000."