A LINE of trees in Winchester needed to be felled for safety reasons, says the city council.

The action follows the blowing down of one of the trees onto Stockbridge Road, damaging a property on the other side of the road on March 28.

Stockbridge Road was closed off between Chilbolton Avenue and Bereweeke Road roundabout to allow tree surgeons to take down four other trees in the back gardens of houses in Silwood Close that back onto Stockbridge Road.

A city council spokeswoman said an assessment undertaken by an independent arboricultural consultant on the council's tree officer’s advice of the remaining trees, showed that they were dangerous and posed a hazard. "Although these trees had a tree preservation order (TPO), given the potential risk, the council accepted the findings in the report and consented for the trees to be removed under exception rules.

"In this instance the duty rests with the owners of the land to plant another tree(s) of an appropriate size and species at the same place as soon as this can be reasonably done. We will write to the owner(s) to set this out - and this can be enforced if necessary."