THE Rochford community has rallied together this evening to ensure the Christmas lights switch on takes place despite vandals chopping down the Christmas tree.

Residents around Rochford's Market Square were woken at 3am this morning by a commotion and looked out to see teenagers with a bow saw chopping down the tree about 4ft up from its base before running off.

However, following a Facebook appeal by the district council, a forester came forward to help restore what was left of the tree by putting the breast back in place before adding the lights.

His work had been completed by 11am, well in time for the festivities which are due to start at 4.15pm.

The district council's chairman Heather Glynn said: "I have got to say as chairman of the district council how proud I am that the people of Rochford saw this on Facebook and came forward so the ceremony this afternoon took place."

Of the vandals, she said: "I just think that not only are they mindless, they think they are clever and in actual fact they are not. They are just a mindless group of teenagers and all they are out to do is cause mischief and I am sorry for them that it really seems that that is the only thing they can think of in life."