A homeowner who damaged a 90-year-old tree so badly it had to be felled has been fined over £60,000.

Stephen Lawrence, from Chelmsford, Essex, had made two applications to the council to fell the mature protected cedar, but both were refused by the council.

Despite warnings, he stripped the bark off the lower trunk, according to the council, and holes were drilled into the wood.

Chelmsford City Council said the damage was so extensive it had to be felled - and took him to court.

A homeowner who damaged a 90-year-old tree (pictured) so badly it had to be felled has been fined over £60,000

Lawrence pleaded guilty to wilful damage to a protected tree at Basildon Magistrates Court on 12 December.

The defendant was initially fined £90,000, but this was reduced to £60,000 plus costs of £1,004.82 and a victim surcharge of £32, based on his early guilty plea.

Councillor Mike Mackrory, cabinet member for sustainable communities, said: 'This is a significant fine which reflects the age and the value of the tree, to people in the local neighbourhood who enjoyed seeing it every day, to the flora and fauna who lived in it, and to the wider environment as trees like this are hugely important in absorbing carbon.

The tree was an impressive, mature cedar in a conservation area to the front of Mr Lawrence's Grade II-listed property

Despite warnings, Lawrence stripped the bark off the lower trunk, according to the council, and holes were drilled into the wood

'The sad thing is that at the point when the damage was first discovered, although the damage was extensive, the tree could still have survived.

'It was the further attacks on it, after Mr Lawrence had been ordered to cease damaging it in the spring, which completely finished it off and meant that there was now no chance that this beautiful old tree could live.'

What is a Tree Protection Order? Tree Protection Orders are issued by local authority officials to help preserve trees that are judged to be of benefit to the local area. A Tree Protection Order can cover a single tree or all trees within a defined area. It is a written order which makes it a criminal offence to cut down or damage or destroy a protected tree, and anyone in breach of the order could face an unlimited fine. Advertisement

The tree was an impressive, mature cedar in a conservation area to the front of Mr Lawrence's Grade II-listed property.

The council said it was probably planted shortly after the house was built in 1908.

The court heard that Mr Lawrence was in flagrant breach of the legislation, continuing to intentionally damage the tree following visits and written letters from the council in January this year.

At that point, he had stripped the tree partly of bark, the council claim.

In May officers found that despite sending a request to cease any further works, Mr Lawrence had completely stripped the lower trunk of the tree, the council claim.

It was then bleeding sap, holes had been drilled into the trunk and it was totally de-barked around the whole circumference, they claim.

The fine was partly based on an assessment of the tree's value, both monetary and in terms of value to the community and environment, of £48,000.