Congratulations are due to MHDC which has managed to put pay to the three oldest trees in the area.

These were unique, historical, living organisms and the council had a responsibility to protect them.

First to go was the 500-800 year old 'Pulpit' Oak in Newland - "It was dying" - removed to make way for the new B4208 Townsend Way.

If you've driven along that road with its twists and roundabouts, you'd think the road could have been directed around the tree or it could have been left on the first roundabout as was done with the ancient black poplar near Powick.

Then it was the turn of the almost unique maiden Manor Park Oak - "It was a danger to the public and was dying".

I photographed the tree before and during its destruction, a few dead twigs from natural die-back after 500 plus years!

Finally, the first or second oldest tree in the area, 500-800 years old, maybe more, the Pickersleigh Road Oak, - "a danger to the public and dying".

There's no footpath under it and children rarely if ever play under it anymore (it's not cool to climb trees), so why couldn't the council find a tree surgeon to do some remedial work on the tree without killing it off. This isn't ignorance or negligence, this is vandalism.

Pollarding a tree of this age and at this time of year was obviously intentional, as it was with the Manor Park Oak; to remove the branches before the buds burst allows for the response to a questioning public that it was dead or dying.

The Manor Park tree was actually leafing up, showing that 99 per cent of it was alive. The Pickersleigh Road Oak hadn't yet opened buds, though the sap was rising, but those who know this wonderful old tree are aware that while there were dead 'stagshorn' branches, there was also a fair amount of foliage present last year. If the live parts had not been removed the tree could have lived on for many more years. It will probably die now and I suspect that was the intention!

Even non-experts know a tree must have leaves to sustain it. Does the council expect this ancient tree to be vital enough to produce new branches and leaf-up from scratch this year - it's not a willow! I will be delighted but astonished if it survives this mutilation.

I have lived in Malvern since 1963 and over those years I've been astonished by the excuses given by a range of council officers for the removal of fine trees - "It was dying". Of course it was dying, it has been dying for the last 500 years. I've been 'dying' since I was 20 but I don't want or need to be put-down yet!

As with the Manor Park tree, I wonder what the hidden agenda is for killing off this tree? Plans to widen this part of Pickersleigh Road or a valuable use for the adjacent land?

These trees were there when Henry VIII came to the throne, maybe even when William conquered Britain in 1066, and this council lightly destroys them.

I intend to send a copy of this letter to The Tree Council and the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and the Worcestershire Biological Records Centre at a time when a national survey of ancient trees is taking place.

R M Bishop, Frederick Road, Malvern Link.