A Cotswold resident has paid a high price for pruning four trees on his property.

The trees were protected by a preservation order and the resident was taken to court and fined £800 - £200 per tree.

Now Cotswold District Council is warning people to obtain appropriate permission before pruning or felling protected trees.

Mr John Beer was fined £200 for each of four trees that were pruned at his home in Ullenwood, near Cheltenham. The trees were protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in 2014 and Cotswold District Council tree officers noticed in 2017 that several trees on the property had been disfigured by poor pruning and no consent had been given.

Cheltenham Magistrates fined Mr. Beer £800 and ordered him to pay a contribution towards the council's costs of £120 along with a £30 victim surcharge after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

Cllr Mark MacKenzie-Charrington, the council's cabinet member responsible for heritage and design, said: "This prosecution clearly demonstrates the council's commitment to protecting the character of the Cotswolds. We will have no hesitation in prosecuting those who disregard Tree Preservation Orders."

If you plan to prune or fell a tree protected by a TPO you must obtain an appropriate permission from the council before you carry out the works. If you want to prune or fell trees growing in a Conservation Area that have a trunk diameter of 75mm or over (measured at 1.5m above ground level), then you are required to give six weeks notice to the council.

Failing to obtain the appropriate permission or not giving appropriate Conservation Area notice can result in a criminal conviction and a fine of up to £20,000.