WORCESTER'S High Street could have ended up with no trees whatsoever, according to Worcester Greenpeace.

This month, city council contractors began uprooting 14 of 23 trees along the High Street as part of a £1.25m redevelopment.

But Peter Robinson, the environmental group's co-ordinator, said there was a "secret" report that has never been published, which showed plans to destroy all the trees.

He said it was commissioned by the City Centre Forum, which represents business interests on the High Street, around four years ago when proposals were being formed.

"That report showed that they clearly intended to cut down all the trees on the High Street, in order to allow lorries to drive up and make deliveries and so that people could see shop signs," said Mr Robinson.

However, city centre manager Georgia Smith said the report discussed "a thousand and one different things".

"While we did recommend that some trees were removed, we never said all of them," said Miss Smith.

Mr Robinson also hit back at references to "fears of green groups protesting" over the work being carried out in the High Street.

The group says it was not consulted, as claimed by the city council, about the removal of the trees, which will eventually see them being replaced with 14 pear trees and six ash trees

"Neither has Worcester Greenpeace supported the planting of trees of any specific nature, as claimed, because the council never informed us, despite numerous requests, of the type of tree that would be planted," said Peter Robinson, co-ordinator for Worcester Greenpeace.

"The council's fear of 'green groups protesting' comes not from their experience, research or informed sources, but from a lack of public involvement in their plans from start to finish."