A PRESERVATION order has been made after workers were reportedly seen chopping down trees in a wooded area of Roosecote.

Residents say they saw workers with a digger clearing the area off Old Rampside Road over the weekend, which prompted Barrow Borough Council to issue a Tree Preservation Order on Monday.

Councillor Martin McLeavy had initially alerted the Town Hall following the incident and hopes the new order will stop any future incidents.

He said: “The preservation order has been put in place to preserve the area and protect the habitat.

“You can’t just go down chopping and cutting back trees where there are birds nesting.

“The reports from residents said there were people down there on Saturday and the birds were going mad as they are currently nesting.

"It is good news for the community and I am sure it is even better for the wildlife.

“If anything ever comes of clearing it or planning permission is sought then we need a full environmental survey before anybody starts work down there."

Alongside Cllr Derek Gawne and Paul Littlewood from the Woodland Trust, Cllr McLeavy inspected the area after the residents' reports.

And the Roose councillor has now credited the council for issuing the order just hours after his phone call on Monday.

Cllr McLeavy said: "Give credit to our town planners and CEO Sam Plum who turned around the Tree Preservation Order within a few hours when it normally takes days, so they have done an absolutely great job and I am glad that the preservation order is in place."

The issue was first reported on the Roosecote Community Hub Facebook group and its founder Paul Griffiths has praised the community effort.

He said: “It was great to see people getting together and reporting it and put a stop to it all.

“It was a collective effort, everybody chipped and I have to give the councillors credit too for coming down and reporting the issue.”