ANGRY resident Brian Dale has accused Bury Council of "double standards" after refusing him permission to destroy a 30ft tree while happily allowing several others a few yards away to be cut down.

Mr Dale, of Prestwich Park Road South, spent the last ten years campaigning for permission to cut down the problem tree from his front garden after it started to damage his garden wall.

However, Mr Dale's applications were refused on the basis that the tree was part of a conservation area and under a protection order.

So Mr Dale was in for a shock when construction workers moved in a few doors down to redevelop the old police station into luxury flats, felling several trees in the process.

When Mr Dale confronted the council he was told the trees, one of which was more than 200 years old, were removed for easier access to the site and, as it was a construction site, the protection order was void.

Mr Dale said: "I am outraged at the double standards the council is setting. When it was a police station they had no problems with access. This tree is just too big for my garden and damaging my property. I've had to have my garden wall fixed twice with the roots growing up.

"It will make absolutely no difference to the neighbourhood but I am not allowed to cut my tree down whereas the council seem to be able to destroy trees willy-nilly when it suits them."

Bury Council was unavailable for comment.