RESIDENTS of a Ribchester street are demanding a meeting with council bosses after trees and shrubs were removed.

Residents of Sarmatian Fold were horrified to find 30 trees being uprooted on the orders of Ribble Valley Borough Council.

It is believed officials wanted the trees along a 100ft wall to be replaced by a concrete strip as part of the council's plans to adopt the road.

Now, a 14-name petition has been sent to the council along with a letter to chief executive David Morris.

It reads: "Not only are we disturbed by the unnecessary act of vandalism, we are also very disappointed in the complete lack of communication and discussion and the underhanded way this issue has been managed."

The residents also want the council to "halt the degradation" and requested a face-to-face site meeting with officials.

Resident Carol Jemson said: "It looks absolutely awful. It's just a long, bare brick wall now.

"The trees made the area look attractive and I'm sure that the wildlife who lived in them will have been affected.

"Everyone around here is very angry as no one told us what the council was planning to do or even bothered to consult us.

"The residents would have been happy to maintain the trees if the council didn't want to but no contact was made with any of us, not even a phone call."

Neighbour Serena Hudson said: "The trees presented a lovely view, especially when all the flowers and red berries were out."

Ribchester councillor Brian Collis, also chairman of Ribchester Parish Council, said he was angered at not being informed of the council's decision.

John Heap, director of commercial services for Ribble Valley Borough Council, said he hoped to meet members of the parish council and the residents to see if an agreement could be reached once the full facts were put forward.

He added that he wanted to explain the council's legal position. He said the estate's developers, building firm Marcus Worthington, signed an agreement relating to the site, which was built seven years ago, and its subsequent adoption.

He said: "The contractor was fully aware that for the sewers and highways to be adopted he would not be able to have trees in the location where they were subsequently put.

"The council now finds itself facing a situation which suggests it is responsible for the removal of trees when the developer was fully aware at the time they would have to come out in due course."

A spokesman for developers Marcus Worthington said its workers had planted the trees when the houses were built in 1995.

He added: "We carried out the removal of the trees at the request of Ribble Valley Borough Council."