Kind of thing we have come to expect from "The Custodians of the Countryside". Someone complains so lets just hack it down. Teach them a lesson. I hate the way they destroy the hedges these days anyway, with those contraptions that shatter, rather than actually cut the hedge. And then leave all the debris in the road.
The massacre of that hedgerow is out of order regardless of the time of year, but to do it at this time of year is beyond words. Hopefully a custodial sentence will follow - not only for the criminal damage to the hedgerow (and that is what it is, criminal), but also for causing unnecessary suffering to animals.
Looking at the picture, there must be at least 4 ft between the hedge and the road. Why didn't the idiot get it cut back in the winter if it was overgrown enough to scratch cars on the road.
It's not clear at what stage the villagers divulged their knowledge to the landowners (about the bird nests). Before or after the savage hedge cutting? Did the landowners know it was illegal? If they did then it is indeed shocking and I hope they will be shamed and punished. That the police are looking into it sounds limp...I am picturing backhanders taking place.
It also looks like they used the machinery that doesn't cut cleanly but basically just tears and breaks the branche. They used to use that sort in Cheshire about 10 years back but now they've realised the errors of their ways and use clean cutting machinery. It looks like everyone is pointing fingers at each each for blame, the Land Owner saying it was the Council who ordered them to do it, etc.
The ones that rip the branches, as they like an arm with a huge lawnmower cylinder on it that operates in whichever plane it is directed in? Edit - usually attached to a tractor?
That's been done by an attachment to a tractor, I've seen it being done and it tears the hedge to bits. I hope they throw the book at the land owner and the contractor who carried out the work.
I popped in on a friend yesterday, the pillock in the house next door was having a hedge ripped out because the conifers were preventing his veg growing! Ok it wouldn't have made it easy but excuse me why couldn't he wait until the autumn? He's not going to grow veg now the soil is going to need lots of manure before he can even consider growing veg! It's the normal around here people without a clue trying to be farmers!
