AN INJUNCTION has been obtained to stop illegal tree felling in an area of protected woodland.

The New Forest National Park Authority has successfully obtained the High Court injunction to prevent further damage to an area of protected woodland.

This comes after 12 oak trees were illegally felled on land south of the A336 at Bartley in December, which is in a protected conservation area.

This is said to have left large fractures and splits in the remaining tree trunks with several other oaks marked with an ‘X’, suggesting that they were also set to be chopped down.

A New Forest National Park spokesman said: "It appears likely that the trees were felled to provide access to adjoining land within ‘Terry’s Patch’, which includes a larger open field."

The site, between the junctions with Eadens Lane and Tatchbury Lane, has a long-standing tree preservation order (TPO) and is classified as a priority habitat for trees and animals.

Leo Randall, Chairman of the New Forest National Park’s Planning Committee, said: "The special landscape of the National Park has the highest level of protection, and this High Court injunction illustrates that, where appropriate, we will take decisive measures in respect of any threats to the landscape.

"Our broadleaved habitats have been identified as being the most threatened, requiring urgent conservation measures under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

"The developers in this case ignored or were unaware of the Tree Preservation Order in place.

"Unless restrained by an injunction order they could well have caused further significant irreversible environmental damage to the New Forest."