A startling total of 642 trees have been felled by Sefton Council workers in the last 36 months.

That figure, claims a report, is one of the worst in the North West for councils felling trees and it’s one that some residents in the borough are furious with.

They accuse the council of cutting down healthy trees ‘just so the authority doesn’t have to pay to maintain them’.

One resident said: ‘It seems Sefton council wants rid of as many trees in Sefton as possible to cut maintenance costs’

A spokeswoman for Sefton Council said: “Sefton Council is dedicated to keeping Sefton clean, green and beautiful and maintaining the borough’s trees and greenspaces is a major part of this vision.

“Last winter Sefton Council planted 295 trees on the highway and 51 trees within parks across Sefton while also doing our best to maintain and care for existing trees.

“However, there are some cases where a tree may be posing a threat to the highway or private proper- ties and after careful consideration from our expert tree and woodland officers, sometimes the only solution is to remove the tree.

“The decision to remove a tree is never taken lightly but public safety remains our paramount concern and we will always act where we feel there is a significant health and safety issue.”