A POISONOUS tree in a front garden looks set to be given legal protection despite its owners fearing it could damage residents' health.

Redbridge Council wants to issue a Tree Protection Order (TPO) on a mature yew in Whitehall Road, Woodford Green, to protect the "worthy" contribution it makes to the local environment.

But the Cockerton family, who want to cut the tree down to build an extension to their home, says it is a risk to children who could get ill by eating its toxic berries.

They say the large tree blocks out sunlight and also requires a high level of maintenance which they cannot do effectively because they both have mobility issues due to hip and back problems.

The couple has offered to plant a new tree elsewhere in their garden to compensate.

In a letter to the council, they also objected to the timing of the TPO, which they were first notified of in December.

They said: “Before we purchased this property we went to great lengths to ensure TPOs did not exist on any trees in this property.

"We see this placement of a TPO within 2.5 months of having it confirmed by the council that TPOs were not present as an extremely unfair and unreasonably action.”

But the council denies the claim and says the tree will only need pruning every four or five years.

The council's tree and lanscape officer Christopher Overbeke also said there is no record of anyone ever dying from eating yew berries in the UK.

A council report added: “one would need to consume a significant amount of needles to risk a stomach upset which is considered most unlikely.”

The authority also says the impact of the tree on light was “clearly apparent” when the couple bought the house and was not a sufficient reason to remove it.

The report added: “The position and visibility of the tree from the highway renders its landscape amenity as self evident.”

A meeting of the council's regulatory committee will vote on whether to grant the TPO on Monday June 27.

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