A Cirencester man was ordered by Cheltenham Magistrates Court to pay a total of £650 for pruning trees without permission.

So Cotswold District Council is reminding people to make sure they get appropriate permission before pruning or felling protected trees.

Kamran Khazai acknowledged that he had pruned trees illegally at his home in Cirencester, even though they had been protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) in 2015.

Council tree officers identified in 2017 that the trees had been disfigured by poor pruning and that Mr Khazai had not sought consent.

Cllr Mark MacKenzie-Charrington, CDC cabinet member for development control, 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 need to obtain the appropriate permission before you carry out the works. The penalties for not getting the appropriate permission or giving appropriate Conservation Area Notice can be a criminal conviction and a fine of up to £20,000."