Anglers unhappy after riverbank stripped of trees

Trees have been stripped from a 250m stretch of the River Tone through Taunton

Anglers have said they are "heartbroken" after a 250m stretch of river was stripped of trees as part of flood management measures.

The Environment Agency (EA) has removed the trees along the River Tone where it runs through Taunton in Somerset.

Angling coach Dominic Garnett said people go there to be with nature but the work had seen it all "ripped away".

A spokeswoman for the EA said it had carried out "essential work to manage flood risk and protect properties".

The stretch of river is a favourite spot for anglers and known for its wildlife, including kingfishers.

The area is popular with anglers and known for its wildlife

Mr Garnett, 42, has fished there for 20 years and has been visiting since he was a child.

"It is absolutely heartbreaking to see the destruction of the places you love," he said.

"You go there to be with nature and to get away and it's all just been ripped away. We are just smashing it all up.

"When are we going to start putting nature first? We always mess around with it.

"It is always very short-term and later on it is always nature that pays the price."

Mark Barrow, a film-maker who has made productions about freshwater species in UK rivers and lakes for 20 years, tweeted his shock at the "complete devastation".

The Environment Agency said the ongoing work would protect properties in Bathpool and Taunton.

"We always work to minimise any impact to the environment when carrying out work and have measures in place to compensate, such as new tree planting.

"Flooding and coastal erosion can have terrible consequences for people, businesses and the environment," said a spokeswoman.

The area is due to be sown with a wild flower seed mix and replanted with native trees.