Before: Children play on the stumps at Tahunanui's Back Beach in 2013.

Eight landmark tree stumps on Tahunanui's Back Beach, Nelson, which acted as makeshift huts and climbing frames and drew many photographers, have been removed.

Nelson City Council spokesperson Paul Shattock said the stumps had been removed because they had started to rot, posing a danger to anyone standing on or playing underneath them.

"We appreciate that the stumps had become part of the Nelson landscape, and they were regarded as much loved sculptures. Therefore a detailed assessment was made, but sadly a number had to be removed."

MARION VAN DIJK After: Remaining stumps.

He said ultimately the decision came down to the council not wanting a member of the public to get hurt while playing on them.

Although eight smaller stumps remain, the removal of the large stumps has prompted a number of concerned comments on the council's Facebook page.

Adam Hicks wrote: "This is a real shame. I really hope due process was followed on this because you've removed a beautiful part of the landscape in one fell swoop without any consultation with the public. How dangerous were they really? Talk about the fun police."

MARTIN DE RUYTER One of the larger stumps now missing from the beach.

The council responded that after a member of the public almost fell through a stump, they were assessed by an arborist.

"We do understand your disappointment, however after a thorough independent assessment, eight stumps were considered dangerous. If someone's child was playing on/under these and got hurt, then we would have been negligent not to have done something."

Shattock said there hadn't been public consultation as it was a health and safety issue.

There weren't plans to remove any more stumps but those remaining would be monitored and removed if they started to pose a safety risk, he said.