CAMPAIGNERS in a Worcester street were shocked to find workmen pulling down a tree after a last-ditch bid to save it.As reported in your Worcester News, residents in Hill Avenue complained about a plan to remove the hornbeam last month, with Worcestershire County Council pledging to improve communication over the issue.But on Wednesday morning, workmen arrived and felled the tree, which is said to have been causing subsidence in a nearby house.The Highways Department had written to Ian and Jo Menhinick promising to redraft notices after the couple complained residents had not been given enough information following a previous attempt to take the tree down.Initially, residents were alerted to the plan when a notice with no official logos was placed on the tree asking people not to park in front of it.No such sign was placed on the tree before Wednesday and residents were stunned to find the work, which the council said was necessary to protect residents, going ahead.Mr Menhinick said: “I woke up this morning to find them cutting it down which is a great shame as they had written to us promising they would redraft notices.“We have accepted their findings that it needs to come down but we thought we had secured two promises from our campaign. “Firstly, that communication with residents would improve and secondly, that if we had to lose another tree in our avenue, then this would be replaced by two further trees.“If they can break their first promise in six days what chance is there of them keeping the second?”Work due to be carried out in March was temporarily put on hold by the county council while it spoke to residents about the tree.The council had not replied to chartered landscape gardener Alison Potterton who had written with her views and comments.But Jon Fraser, Worcestershire County Council’s highways manager, said the action taken on Wednesday was correct for the safety of the residents and their property in Hill Avenue.“As promised we have communicated our findings and decisions with residents who have received letters,” he said. “We still intend to replant two smaller specimens of field maple. However, this will now take place in the autumn as the tree planting season has come to end.