A set of trees at the centre of protests over their future are finally being chopped down by tree surgeons.
Work is underway to chop parts of the decaying trees down despite eco-warriors writing love notes and singing songs under the ash.
The ash and robinia trees, some of which are riddled with dieback, need to be cut down and replaced as they risk becoming unsafe. Police have also joined the operation to prevent further disruption.
Workers on Western Road in Brighton have been using a cherry picker and chainsaws to cut down parts of the tree this morning.
A stump of one of the trees remained by the side of the road with logs piled up around it.
Previously, notes attached to the tree read: “The council are going to cut down these beautiful trees.
“Please, please email your MP, the mayor, your councillors, to stop this “Love me. Let me live.”
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A section of the pavement has also been closed due to the work with members of the public being diverted across the road as a safety precaution.
An initial protest on May 12 saw work disrupted as a man sat beneath the tree and played the guitar.
Protesters had successfully been able to halt work on the trees on two occasions.
Work has been proposed to treat the trees for a number of weeks with protesters calling for the ash not to be cut down.
A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman previously said last month: “We need to carry out work to replace two trees in Western Road.
“This is because the current trees are in poor health and risk becoming unsafe in a busy area of the city.”
The council also confirmed that the trees would be replaced with two new trees as part of the work.
A Sussex Police officer at the scene confirmed that he was attending due to the risk of further protests. The force has been approached for comment.
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