FRUSTRATED resident, Irene Slack, is set to take a builder to court over a row centred on a line of prized trees.

Mrs Slack is calling on Kevin Humphries to pay for trees needed to replace ones she claims were damaged by his building work.

Mr Humphries is building houses in Park Lane, Congleton, with the site bounded on one side by Mrs Slack's home.

A well-established tree hedge owned by Mrs Slack divides the garden from the site, and she claims excavation work has killed off much of the hedge.

"We moved here because of the privacy created by the hedge,'' said Mrs Slack.

"However building work cut through the tree roots, and a third of the hedge is now dead or dying.

"I look out onto the hedge from my sitting room, and now can see straight through it to a brick wall.

"This has caused me a great deal of stress, and I've not been able to sleep.''

She is asking Mr Humphries to pay the £1,400 needed to replace dead or damaged trees with panels and new trees, and aims to take him to court if he fails to respond.

In February Mr Humphries offered to replace any trees alongside one of the new houses which might die within six months, without any admission of liability.

Mr Humphries refused to comment on the matter.

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