Diseased trees to be felled to protect residents

Infected ash trees along Birchfield Road in Webhealth, will be felled in the coming months

Trees infected with a deadly disease will be felled in order to protect public safety.

Redditch Borough Council plan to cut down a number of ash trees along Birchfield Road, from the top of Bromsgrove Road to the slip road for Bromsgrove Highway, in Webhealth, that are infected with ash dieback.

The disease leads to leaf loss, branch die and ultimately tree death, however it also poses risk to humans and animals as weakened branches can suddenly fall.

Jen Snape from the local authority said it was "imperative" to look after the environment and remove any trees that could become "a safety risk to residents".

Orange marks had been placed on infected trees, with work expected to get underway in the coming months, a spokesperson for the borough council said.

They added that the removed trees would not be replanted, as the surrounding trees and vegetation were "sufficient to allow natural regeneration".