Fury as tree surgeons take axe to wrong beech

A pair of tree surgeons broke into a garden and chopped down a cherished 40-year-old beech tree by mistake.

Council sub-contractors misread the address on their job sheet and knocked on Filiz and Leo Wolfert's door, in St George's Road, Enfield, instead of a council house opposite.

After receiving no reply they scaled the 6ft garden fence and chopped down the tree. When Mr and Mrs Wolfert came home from a Valentine's meal they found it had gone and their garden had been wrecked.

Mrs Wolfert said she would never forgive the firm, Able Tree Services. "The tree was the most important thing in our garden. That company came along, broke into our property and killed it - our garden looks bare without it."

David Yeardly, a director of Able Tree Services, said: "It was a completely honest mistake. The guy who was in charge of the job is gobsmacked at what happened.

"We have offered to remove the tree stump and replace it with a mature tree. We are also discussing further compensation. This has never happened before."

An Enfield council spokeswoman also apologised for the mistake.