Parish councillors are celebrating after winning a long battle to save three ancient oak trees from the chop.

The councillors previously threatened to chain themselves to the trees in a bid to stop them being felled because Colchester-based insurance company OCA UK wanted the trees to be cut down in order to save the crumbling scout hut on the village playing field.

It said the trees were drawing water away from the hut's foundations, which had causing subsidence and cracks in the building.

Weeley councillor Peter De-Vaux Balbirnie said: "The people of Weeley don't want to lose trees from the village playing field.

"We don't want 100-year-old trees that are healthy and attractive to be given the chop when they can be saved.

"The insurance company said that it will now surround the routes with a plastic membrane route barrier, which will push the routes deeper into the ground and away from the hut.

"This will help to protect the tree. We are really pleased this has happened and it will help save these trees for the people of our village to enjoy.

"The last thing we wanted was to chop down a 100-year-old tree because of a ten-year-old scout hut."

A spokesman for OCA UK was unavailable for comment.