Chelmsford Borough Council wants to interview a contractor who bulldozed preserved trees and part of a protected hedge in a leafy Chelmsford lane at the weekend.

Residents of a private cul-de-sac adjacent to the railway and near the demolition site of Marconi College, in Arbour Lane, had a rude awakening on Saturday morning when men with a mechanical digger knocked down three trees.

Resident Susan Smith said: "We were certain they were preserved and asked the men to stop. Because it was a Saturday, we were rather at a loss as to what to do.

"However, on Monday, the council's tree officer came and confirmed that the knocked down trees and the hedge were preserved."

Residents say that the move has alarmed them because they currently live in wooded seclusion in a little-known green haven hemmed in by residential areas. They are resigned to the Marconi site being developed, and demolition is currently taking place.

The cut-down trees bordered separate land which they believe is owned by Railtrack's Rail Properties Division, part of which has been used continuously as garden extensions for decades.

"We fear that the whole atmosphere of this lovely close will be changed if this sort of thing goes on," said Mrs Smith.

"We are constantly checking for strangers in the road now, in case anything else unattractive happens to the environment."

A Railtrack spokeswoman said: "No one was doing any work for us in that area on Saturday, although we do own that land.

"We always adhere to conservation and preservation orders."

A borough council spokeswoman said: "Some trees and part of a protected hedge were cut down without permission. At this stage, we cannot say what action, if any, will be taken.

"We are trying to contact the contractor to find out what has been done and what else is planned. We can confirm that there has been no planning application for any of the land at this stage."

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