Man fined £9,000 after chopping down trees in his own garden

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A man has been fined almost £10,000 after chopping down some trees in his garden. Ismail Elmagdoub employed somebody to fell three apple trees at the back of his home as they were 'attracting wasps', and because his dog was 'eating the apples'.

But Ismail was handed a hefty penalty as the ancient trees lied in a conservation area. The trees, which are believed to have each been 60 years old, were located within the rear garden of Ismail's property which is situated in the Blockley Conservation Area.

Mr Elmagdoub, of Blockley, Gloucestershire, has now been fined £8,884 by Cotswold District Council after pleading guilty to destroying the trees without consent from the council. READ MORE: Bargain £30k doer-upper in 'house price hotspot' area popular with commuters READ MORE: Homes Under the Hammer mum and son transform 'sad-looking' terrace and add £70,000 in value The trees were felled by a contractor organised by Ismail without prior notice to Cotswold District Council as is required by law in March.

He said the fallen fruit was causing his dog to become unwell and were attracting wasps which were causing issues for his family.