Published: 20 July, 2012
by GEORGE LINDSAY-WATSON

FURIOUS residents have hit out at Network Rail for cutting more trees down in the early hours of the morning – despite an outcry two weeks ago that saw it pledge not to destroy trees during the summer nesting season.

Residents near Canonbury Station were woken at 4am on Sunday by the sound of strimmers and chainsaws.

Author Carol Lee, who lives in Harecourt Road, said: “I tried to go back to sleep but at 4.15 I got up and discovered this whole little valley along here is filled with the noise.

“I decided I’m not going to go out because men with machinery at that time are not going to take kindly to a woman in a dressing gown. I put earplugs in and woke up at 6.30am. When I looked out a lot of land has been cleared.

“I want assurances that Network Rail will keep their assurances.”

She called for work to be done in normal office hours, effective community consultation and for the company to care for the trees on their land rather than chop them down.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “As promised, major vegetation clearance in this area is on hold. What we have done at Canonbury is to trim back some overhanging branches and buddleia which risked tripping out the overhead line power lines. We have also removed some vegetation from retaining walls which could potentially cause structural damage.”