RESIDENTS were up in arms when North Wiltshire District Council felled a mature horse chestnut tree at Whitegates in Castle Combe without telling them.

The tree, on district council owned land, was felled last week and sawn into logs without any warning and villagers were shocked to find the tree had just disappeared.

District councillor Adrian Bishop made inquiries about the fate of the tree and discovered a tree surgeon had found disease in the chestnut tree.

He said: "There was a lot of furore at Whitegates, but the tree surgeon had looked at it and seen disease, with branches falling, and it was decided to hack it down.

"It was on district council land and the council doesn't need permission to chop it down because it's not in a conservation area.

"It was the council's decision but perhaps it would have been nice if it had warned local people first."

Castle Combe parish council said it appreciated the tree had to come down but suggested another tree might be planted in its place.

"The district council had expert advice and had to act," said Coun Bishop.

"It's a pity because it looked like a nice tree."

Barbara Pratt, who lives at Whitegates, said she had noticed one side of the tree was dead. "It was diseased and it had to come down, for safety reasons," she said.

"I was disappointed when I saw it was gone but we have to accept it."