Teesside ash dieback: Tree safety fears spark felling plan

Ash dieback, triggered by a fungus, is originally from eastern Asia and arrived in the UK in 2012

A "significant" number of trees affected by ash dieback disease will have to be felled over safety fears, Redcar and Cleveland Council has said.

A survey of sites, largely in rural parts of the borough, was now under way to identify where diseased trees were evident, the authority said.

Trees adjacent to roads would be prioritised, it added.

Ash dieback arrived in the UK in 2012 and has affected hundreds of thousands of ash trees, if not millions.

Councillor Barry Hunt, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and housing, said: "The council is taking the risk of ash dieback to the area's trees extremely seriously.

"Any dangerous and affected trees will be removed and plans are in place to recruit additional tree experts to the council team in the New Year to help with the increased removal of affected trees."

The council added that if necessary, landowners would be notified of any trees on private property which were showing signs of ash dieback, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.