A passionate tree warden is concerned following the pruning which has taken place in Wandsworth.

Mary-Claire Mason, of the Wandsworth Tree Warden Network (WTWN) highlights two Putney streets, Weiss Road and Earldom Road, which she says their street trees have recently been pruned by Wandsworth council.

She said: “Summer tree pruning is harmful to health. The leaves in the green tree canopy fight pollution cleaning the air for us as well as other important benefits such as shading and cooling the air.”

The Wandsworth Tree Warden Network is made up of local people who are passionate about trees and want to raise awareness of how trees provide essential health benefits for residents.

A Wandsworth council spokesman said: “The council is responsible for looking after some 60,000 trees in total including around 15,000 in residential streets.

“Our careful management of these trees is one of the reasons why Wandsworth is such a green and leafy borough.”

Mary-Claire emphasised that the council need to ensure pruning takes place in late autumn, adding: “Removing the green canopy just when we most need it is a policy which has to change.

“We want the council to ensure that tree pruning takes place in the autumn/winter period when the trees are leafless and have no green canopy any extra cost would be outweighed by the public health benefits.”

However, the council have made it clear that trees need pruning to ensure their good health.

A spokesman added: “In order to keep street trees in long-term good health they do require pruning every so often and this is done as part of our long-standing and expert-led routine maintenance programme.

“We spend part of the year planting new trees and the remainder looking after those that need to be properly maintained to ensure their long term health and growth.”