AN ELDERLY couple have turned to their MP for help to remove a berry-laden thorny tree from outside their home.

Marcia Hasler, 81, had Labour MP Peter Kyle’s help when she asked councillors for action after years of worry about the tree.

It was planted on the pavement outside her home in Chelston Avenue, Hove, seven years ago.

She is concerned that it has become a health and safety hazard. It has thorns 3cm long on its ground-level offshoots and it sheds berries across the road and pavement.

Mrs Hasler fears that someone will slip on the berries, with some having falling off during recent storms.

She said: “In a few weeks when the berries really start coming off, it’ll be a carpet.

“The whole tree is an issue. We had quite a few berries down in the rain but that’s nothing compared with what’s coming.

“I don’t know how they’re getting away with this as a health and safety issue, with the thorns as well. It just doesn’t make sense. We can’t sweep it up off the pavement.”

Mrs Hasler has heart problems and her husband David has asthma.

She told Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee meeting last week that they were unable to clear the road as well as their front garden themselves.

Mrs Hasler has asked the council’s rubbish, recycling and street cleaning service Cityclean for someone to clear up but street cleaners have come only sporadically.

At the meeting last Tuesday (20 September), she told councillors that they were her last resort – and they heard all about the long and traumatic history of the tree planted by the council outside her home.

On coming home from hospital after a heart operation, Mrs Hasler found a letter from the council threatening legal action if the couple did not cut back the tree within 14 days.

The letter said: “It has been brought to our attention that vegetation that appears to be coming from your property is now growing over the public highway causing problems for pedestrians, especially those with sight impairments or mobility difficulties.

“As the owner or occupier of the property, you are responsible for making sure that any trees, bushes or other vegetation you have do not encroach on to the public highway or cause a nuisance to other road users.”

A photograph with the letter clearly showed the tree planted on the edge of the pavement.

The council later apologised for the letter and admitted that it was responsible for the tree.

After hearing her story, the Hove MP helped Mrs Hasler put her question to councillors.

Mr Kyle said: “This is another example of how we are lacking a common-sense administration at the council.

“Mrs Hasler has met brick wall after brick wall in her attempts to resolve an issue that impacts the pavement, the road and the neighbours.

“I’ve seen the spikes and berries myself. No one would want that outside their home yet no one in the council is trying to rectify the mistake.

“I beg someone inside the administration at the council to take responsibility and help Mrs Hasler.”

Green councillor Amy Heley, who co-chairs the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said that she was sorry to hear about the problem and would ask the council’s tree team to get in touch.

The council said: “We are contacting the resident to highlight the issues with any tree that drop berries, seeds, leaves, honey dew, etc, on to footpaths.

“We do not fell healthy street trees as a result of this natural process. If we did remove healthy trees that drop berries, etc, we would have to start a programme of large-scale felling and replacement throughout the city, causing both a huge cost to the council tax payer and extensive environmental damage.

“The tree in question, plus another next to it, were pruned back on Friday (23 September) to remove any spiky growth impeding the footway.

“Any problem with debris on pavements potentially causing a hazard should be reported to our colleagues at Cityclean for action.”