A GREAT Harwood resident says he is "outraged" that 60-year-old trees in full bloom are being chopped down to make extra space for a recreation ground.

Ian Wilkinson, 54, of Hindle Fold Lane, has lived around Memorial Park and enjoyed the horse chestnuts all his life.

He said the community was upset to see diseased trees being felled by Hyndburn Council and concerned healthy trees were being chopped down too.

The cutting started when some trees were infected with Bulgarian canker, which council officers say has now spread to all the 27 currently set to be felled. The disease can be spread through the roots or the air and destroys the trees' bark.

All of the trees were earmarked for removal because of plans to extend the recreation ground which require the area to be levelled.

The trees will make way for the enlargement of the community recreation ground and are to be replaced with a mixture of different varieties elsewhere within the park.

Mr Wilkinson said: "These are very popular trees and very mature. All of the dogwalkers have been talking about how sad it is to see them go.

"We knew that some trees were to be removed because of disease, which is a shame but totally right, because they could be dangerous. But I'm worried that healthy trees could be cut down too.

"Everyone in the community is talking about shocked and how upset they are. The ones already gone look terrible. I don't think the people of Great Harwood are aware of what is going on and I'm sure they won't be happy when they find out.

"I can't believe they won't even be replaced with horse chestnuts. That's what there has always been."

Head of leisure services Peter Baron said: "The 27 trees were set to be felled irrespective of the disease because we have got funding from Sport England to enlarge the sports facilities. The replanting is part of the conditions of that.

"The residents were upset because eight of the trees to be felled did not originally show any signs of the disease, but a trees officer has examined them again and reports they are all showing signs of bulgarian canker."