WORK on a new cycle path through Lancaster has led to scores of trees being felled.

A Lancaster City Council report says the trees were diseased meaning they had to be axed before they toppled over.

But one local resident reckons that's not the case and insists a survey carried out last year said the trees could last another 50 years.

"The council said the trees were diseased," says Robin Loxam. "But I spoke to the tree surgeon who was cutting them down and he said he thought there was nothing wrong with them.

"But the funny thing about this is that the Green Party supported the cycle path - and the plans for the path also supports chopping down these really old but basically healthy trees.

"There was a survey done last year and some trees had to come down because of something called Canker-Rot. But the tree surgeon on that occasion said they could last five years or 50 years.

"He took a few days to come to that conclusion yet the council turned up and decided in a matter of minutes that they had to be chopped down.

"I am really disgusted about this situation. The council seems to have shown a total disregard for these trees."

The new bike route by the Lancaster Girls Grammar School and along Carr House Lane has won praise from all quarters.

The cycle and footpath improvements have been jointly funded by the city council, Lancashire County Council, SEED Lottery Fund and ERDF European funding.

A spokesman for Lancaster City Council says: "The council has a report that states that all the trees in the vicinity of the new cycle track had a disease and all trees were recommended for removal within a two to three year period.

"A monitoring period was suggested. However, due to the potential health and safety risk it was decided to remove the trees and replace with native species at a later date in the year.

"As part of the scheme nine mature trees with a degenerative disease are being replaced with new native species including oak, ash and maple. A mixed hedge will also be planted.