RAILWAY Road residents are fuming after the council ordered the destruction of shrubbery behind their homes.

Chorley Borough Council has received numerous complaints from angry locals who woke up to the sound of chainsaws hacking down the attractive landscape which screens their homes from the main railway line.

And despite feverish attempts by council officials to calm the storm of protest, residents still aren't happy.

Dinner lady Sharon Taylor is appalled by the mass destruction. She said: "I could understand it if the workmen had just pruned them, but they have been literally cut down.

"I am a nature lover and have enjoyed watching the birds come and go over the past few years. On Tuesday the poor things were going berserk because they had lost their homes.

"When the council first got to work my daughter came running inside saying that some men were killing the trees. We have been left with an eyesore.

"We all hope the area can re-establish itself and become the pleasant recreational area it used to be."

Mrs Pauline Seaman, another resident of Railway Road, is very angry.

She said: "When I first saw the area, I was angry because the place was a mess, with the shrubs and trees cropped to just 3ft.

"However, since speaking to the council, they have explained that some plants were only there to fill space.

"I do still think they could have asked the public's opinion and also I still think there was no need to be quite so drastic."

A council spokesman said: "We have had complaints from a lot of residents that the trees provided too much cover on dark nights, which is one of the reasons why action was taken.

"Also when we plant a new bed we use what we call Pioneer species which will grow quickly. By removing these shrubs, existing plants are able to spread along the ground which prevents fly-tipping."

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