People have reacted angrily after trees and shrubs dedicated to RAF veterans were cut down outside St George’s Chapel of Remembrance in Biggin Hill.

A new Biggin Hill Memorial Museum is currently being built by the chapel – despite almost 22,000 people signing a petition against the designs.

One of the people who started the petition, Rita Radford, said the removal of the trees was “absolutely disgusting” and "totally disrespectful".

She told News Shopper: “The word everyone is using is vandalism. People have been in tears and are very distressed over it.

“This place should be special.”

The campaigner also said people have told her they will never set foot in the new museum when it is built.

Rare Irish Yew trees were also cut down this month as part of the works.

St George’s Chapel of Remembrance was built in 1951 before relatives planted trees for deceased RAF serviceman.

Ms Radford added: “Someone said to us the chapel now looks like a Nazi building rather than an iconic chapel.

“It was gentle and gave off an appropriate atmosphere, which was of peace and serenity.”

The chapel was built under Sir Winston Churchill and is a Grade II Listed building.

At the time of publishing Biggin Hill Memorial Museum Trust (BHMMT) did not respond to News Shopper's request for comment.

Bromley Council was also asked for a comment, but they advised News Shopper to contact BHMMT.

One Facebook commenter wrote online: "I used to live in Bromley and only last week I had to visit. I decided to show my children where some of their family were based in World War Two.

"I was not impressed. What a mess. It seems nothing has any value these days."

A spokesman for the museum trust told News Shopper: "One of the key objectives of the Biggin Hill Memorial Museum Trust is the preservation of St George’s Chapel of Remembrance, and the museum provides a more sustainable and certain future for the Chapel.

"The artist’s impression clearly shows the new planting scheme to be delivered with the design concept resetting the Chapel in its immediate environment.

"This enables the Chapel to be seen as it was originally conceived as the focal point of the site, whilst also integrating the new museum.

"The planning application which was subject to consultation clearly set out the landscape design which follows the professional heritage advice, with the removal of the two yew trees to protect the foundations of the Chapel."