Cheltenham residents upset after fairy door taken away in Tulip Grove

Tiny doors placed at the bottom of trees to bring a little fairy magic to Cheltenham children have been disappearing from around the Bayside suburb — and no one knows who’s to blame.

Mr Crompton put a children's library and fairy door in his Cheltenham street but was disappointed to find someone had removed the little door. Picture: supplied

Fairies have been evicted from a Cheltenham street after someone removed a tiny door from the base of a tree.

Bayside Men’s Shed member Paul Crompton said he put the fairy trinkets at the base of a tree near his home in Tulip Grove to “give the local children something to enjoy”.

He said its removal last Friday (July 26) had “caused quite a stir”.

The door, installed last September, had been a popular addition to the street, Mr Compton said.

“The young children loved it and before long started placing little toys, painted shells and flowers in front of it,” he said.

“Parents and grandparents were seen being dragged up the street to inspect the latest addition.”

Paul Crompton installed the fairy door in Tulip Grove last September.

But it vanished on July 26.

At Christmas, someone even decorated the miniature door with tinsel and bells.

And Mr Crompton was so inspired by the door’s popularity that he built a street library and stocked it with children’s books.

The library, on his front fence, has not been removed.

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“Anything that gets children away from computers and promotes community spirit is a good thing,” Mr Crompton said.

“Having pride in their neighbourhood might deter them from going around vandalising things in the future.

“The input to the community of such little gifts — be they homemade drinks stalls set up by children during the holidays … or this type of contribution — all encourage respect in the district and make for a better society.”

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Mr Crompton said children would come from several streets away to exchange books and visit the fairies.

Mr Crompton said he was “astonished” when he found the door had been taken away.

“It is a great disappointment that someone decided they would remove the object that had become a focus point for so many children,” he said.

“I went out and there was just a little wet spot on the base of the tree where the door had been but I don’t know who has taken it.”

In a note to Mr Crompton a neighbour wrote of their “disappointment” at the door’s removal.

“Lots of us walked our dogs just to look at it and add little bits,” the note said.

“Thank you for the pleasure (the fairy door) gave us.”

The Bayside Leader understands another fairy door was taken from a tree in neighbouring Heather Grove.

Some residents believe Bayside Council was behind the removal of the doors.

Environment, recreation & infrastructure director, Steven White, said the council did not have a policy on fairy doors “but in principle would not support attaching items to public trees due to the risk of causing damage”.