TREES lining Worcester's High Street are set to be felled - but the city council is promising their numbers will increase once the refurbishment of the thoroughfare is completed.

Contractors undertaking the £1.25m redevelopment will this week start chopping down 14 of the 23 existing trees.

But they will be replaced by 14 pear trees and six ash trees, varieties of which line the Cornmarket.

The city's transportation partnership manager, Andy Walford, said talks with interest groups, including shopowners and Greenpeace, showed widespread support for the plan to plant more suitable flowering varieties instead.

"The essential groundwork involved in the scheme makes it imperative that we remove some of the trees lining the main shopping area to enable works to go ahead," he said.

"The height and spread of these trees is more restricted than some of the existing trees with less root development leading to them being much more suitable trees," added Mr Walford.

"Both varieties are small-leaved and grow upwards rather than outwards - so we end up allowing more light into the street and they don't obstruct city centre CCTV cameras."

The scheme suffered a setback in April when the council admitted its funds would not be sufficient to pay for refurbishment along the whole High Street.

It was forced to scale down

the plans, meaning around 100 yards of the street - from Pump Street to the Cathedral roundabout - will only have its street furniture replaced.

The remainder of the High Street will enjoy new paving and improved lighting, as well as the new trees.

Work is due to be completed by the end of September.