COUNCIL contractors have been accused of butchering trees on one of the most attractive approaches to Richmond.

Town council members were appalled to see smashed branches and half-loosened limbs following work by North Yorkshire County Council on hedgerows near Westfields.

The county authority pledged to return to the spot by the end of today to tidy up.

Coun Stuart Parsons, mayor of Richmond, said the work was "absolutely appalling."

"They have taken a huge blade and drawn it against hedges and trees, removing branches in an appalling manner," he said.

"We have cuts which are absolutely despicable and which might cause the trees to die. It is really terrible."

Coun Linda Curran said half-hewn branches were flapping about and could be loosened in high winds or heavy snow, posing dangers to walkers and motorists.

"The contractors have used a vertical blade, not an angled one, and if a tree happens to be in the way, its branches are hacked off," she said. "It is butchery."

A county council spokesman said the work followed complaints from drivers that vehicles were scratched by overgrown branches, and winter was the best time to prune.

"By spring, it will be in bud again and no-one will notice the difference," he said. "We accept that there are some areas which need further attention and we are going up there to have a look and generally tidy it up."

It was hoped the work would be completed by the end of the week, unless contractors were diverted to clear snow.

* The town council is to help set up Richmond Open Space Appeal to raise money to buy Westfields after Richmondshire District Council agreed to dispose of the land.

The final cost will be made public when the appeal is launched and a time limit will be put on the fundraising, possibly six months.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England has given £100 to start the ball rolling. A mortgage could also be applied for to make up any shortfall.

A Richmondshire landscape management trust would then be set up to manage the land, along with other plots including Jack King's Wood, near Round Howe.

It is hoped Heritage Lottery Fund cash can be attracted towards the management costs.

Coun Clive World told the town council on Monday that "people power" had resulted in saving the open spaces which the district council had to examine under government guidelines.

"Without the people of Richmond turning up at three meetings to say they wanted to keep these areas as open space then, whatever town councillors said, the decision could have been different," he said.

Richmond Pride volunteers turn out on Sunday to survey Westfields and identify areas which need tidying.