Furious residents today accused a firm of spoiling a conservation area by hacking down around 30 mature trees.

The small woodland - planted about 30 years ago after a campaign by residents - has been reduced from a thriving mix of shrubbery to what one resident dubbed a "wilderness".

And pensioners whose homes now overlook a factory previously screened by the trees, also hit out at Bradford Council after officials said they were powerless to stop the work.

The firm responsible, Tarmac, claimed it was attempting to "manage" the conservation site which was established to provide a screen between nearby homes and the industrial area.

But today resident Danny Higson condemned the action and said he feared the trees were being moved to enable the land to be used for development.

He said: "It has upset all the neighbours, and we have been angered by the lack of interest from the various departments in City Hall. We have been in touch with three separate departments but none of them are interested because the trees are on private land."

Neighbour Joan Biswas said she feared the conservation area would be used for development, as had happened with other sites on Cleckheaton Road.

"This area used to be lovely with trees all along the road," she said. "It is just ludicrous what has been allowed to go on here."

A spokesman for Tarmac said: "In a bid to manage the tree area at our site on Cleckheaton Road we did thin out the trees over the Easter break. Some of the young self-sown trees, rotten wood and undergrowth were taken away after being checked for nesting birds, and the more mature trees have been left in place."

A Bradford Council spokesman said nothing could be done to prevent the felling. "We are sorry that residents of Cleckheaton Road are upset about trees being felled on the former Trumix factory site," he said. "The trees there are not covered by a preservation order and as the land is privately owned by Tarmac Limited, the Council cannot prevent them from being removed."

Neighbours Cynthia Higson and Peter Bentley are pictured in front of the trees.