TREES lining the busy A629 at Farnhill have been chopped down because they were dangerous.

The 27 Manchester poplars were felled last week after being deemed in a dangerous state by tree experts.

Area councillor Joan Ibbotson told the Herald that swift action was needed, and a decision was taken to allow them to be chopped down.

'All the trees were found to be in a dangerous state,' said Coun Ibbotson, who received a full report on the matter.

'We took the decision to allow them to be felled and they will be replanted with different trees.'

The problems arose following the strong winds on Boxing Day last year when one of the bows broke off and landed in the road.

The same happened the previous year, and officials from North Yorkshire County Council notifed the owner of the land after clearing the debris.

He called out a tree expert to examine them.

Stanley Hargreaves, from Farnhill Parish Council, said he knew of three incidents of branches breaking off the trees.

However, the parish council is unhappy that it did not have time to comment on the matter before the felling took place.

'We think that this may have been a little hasty,' he said. 'Had it come to the parish council I don't think we would have objected to it if the trees were dangerous, but I wasn't notified until they had been chopped down.'

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