A ‘dangerous’ tree which had been ‘deliberately damaged’ could have fallen and killed a child on their way to school, until a council stepped in to cut it down.
The tree near Ankerage Green in Warndon Villages, Worcester, had been partially cut through and was in danger of falling before Worcester City Council acted swiftly to remove it.
Cllr Andrew Cross had urged residents not to go into their back gardens until after the tree was cut down by council workers on Tuesday. He praised the swift response from the city council.
This is the second time this year the council has had to respond to a tree that has been damaged deliberately.
DANGER: The deep cuts in the tree off Ankerage Green in Warndon Villages, Worcester (Image: Supplied)
The ‘ring-cut’ tree, which may be on unadopted land, was near the footpath and cycle path close to Ankerage Green, which leads down to Mapit Place, a popular walking and cycling route for children at the Lyppard Grange Primary School.
The damage to the tree consisted of deep cuts in the trunk. Cllr Cross was contacted by a resident on Sunday evening, urging them to report the damaged tree to the council.
He visited the site on Monday and said the split was opening and closing even when the tree swayed in a mild to moderate breeze.
ACTION: Cllr Andrew Cross praised the speed of the response from Worcester City Council (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
The Green Party city councillor for Leopard Hill and the county councillor for Warndon Villages, also contacted the city council’s tree officer to highlight the urgency of the situation.
He added: “I urged residents living near the tree to avoid going into their back gardens until the tree had been made safe. I also messaged the city tree officer to give them a heads-up of this urgent case and they replied early this morning (Tuesday) to say they were coming as high priority.
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“I posted warnings in two local Facebook groups and on Nextdoor, asking people to keep clear of that tree and to share the warning.
“Our city council’s tree team came and cut down the damaged tree early this morning. Luckily, they could use the neighbouring tree to climb up, to remove sections of the damaged tree, before felling the rest. As usual, the team responded quickly and worked tidily, leaving the site clean.
“I am so glad that nobody was hurt or significant property damage caused. Whoever cut the tree left it in a dangerous state; I do not believe a professional would have done so, especially in a public place. Just imagine the pain if the tree had fallen on someone, quite possibly a child or their family on the way to and from school.”
Cllr Cross has urged people to make use of the ‘Report it!’ facility on the Worcester City Council website or by calling 01905 722233.
A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: “We’re disappointed that somebody damaged this tree so badly that it needed to be removed for safety reasons.
“This is the second time this year that we have been required to respond in this manner to a deliberately damaged tree, which is in line with previous years.
“Anybody who has concerns that a tree could be dangerous should report it on the City Council at report it.
“Our team will then assess the tree and take appropriate action.”
