Expert felt 'physically sick' by Penllergaer tree felling

The 200-year-old tree was planted by the Dillwyn Llewelyn family

A tree consultant felt "physically sick" when a 200-year-old protected redwood was chopped down for a housing development, he told a court.

Stephen Lucocq said he identified it as "high value" after assessing the site for new homes in Penllergaer, Swansea.

On Monday contractor Arwyn Morgan admitted contravening a preservation order by chopping down the tree.

Enzo's Homes director Fiorenzo Sauro denies the charge at Swansea Magistrates' Court.

"I felt physically sick. I could not ever foresee this happening. Disbelief," Mr Lucocq said.

• Contractor admits felling Penllergaer redwood tree

He was employed by the house builder in 2016 to carry out an assessment of the quality of trees on the site.

'Heritage tree'

Mr Lucocq identified 70 as "high value", saying the redwood had "a blue circle around it indicating it was a heritage tree" and was "in a construction exclusion zone behind barrier fencing".

In August 2018, Mr Lucocq visited the site, marking up trees to be cut down - but said the redwood was 70 metres (229 feet) away from these.

When he returned a couple of months later, it had been felled.

The trial continues.