They smashed or sawed down more than 20 trees and saplings and then built fires and "dens" on an area of Golborne Common.

Now there are calls for the Metro to take greater steps to protect the common, a nationally important eco system off Edge Green Lane and the less well- known upper section of Ashton Heath.

The damage was discovered by former Golborne councillor Peter Franzen who is calling for a closer watch to be kept on the area.
Mr Franzen, of High Street, said: "It looks like a tornado has been through with all the trees flattened.

"You can see many have been sawn down rather than jumped on or knocked over. There seems to have been a lot of work gone into it."
He said shrubs and mature trees were affected by the vandalism and added: "One was a classic oak tree of a good age that may have take 30 or 40 years to reach that size.

"Even if we plant replacements they are going to take years and years to get to a similar size and offer a similar habitat for nature.
"A lot of the wood was stacked up which may be for a bonfire that they are planning in the future."

Mr Franzen says he spoke to a group of 16 and 17-year-olds around a camp fire with cans of beer and they said they had travelled from Hindley and Hindley Green.
But he says they denied being responsible for cutting down the trees, blaming youths from Golborne.

A Metro spokesman said: "The issue will be raised at the next meeting of Golborne and Lowton Township Community Safety Group."
Ashton Heath/Golborne Common has a recorded history going back to the 17th century and is a priority habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as one of Britain's rare lowland heaths.

Due to concern at the deterioration of the heath, residents and users formed the Ashton Heath Residents' Association in 2004. It is now an associate group of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.