WEST Devon residents are being warned to check the credentials of tree surgeons before going ahead with work after reports of a rogue trader operating in the Tavistock area.

West Devon Borough Council is alerting residents following an incident where a protected Norway Maple and Silver Birch in a town garden were cut down illegally.

Investigations by the council suggest the person who carried out the work was not a bona fide tree surgeon.

Georgina Browne, the council's landscape officer, said: 'It is a criminal offence to cut down trees with a preservation order on them without making an application for the necessary permission.  Any professional tree surgeon would know this.

'By not using a qualified contractor, residents could find they face prosecution if protected trees are felled without consent.

'Rogue traders are also unlikely to have the right insurance and again this could leave householders liable for any accidents.'

Residents are advised to question potential tree surgeons about their qualifications and experience before going ahead with any work and ask for full contact details and a business address.

Most good tree surgeons will also be members of the industry's professional body, the Arboricultural Association (ARB).  They have a list of approved tree consultations or tree surgeons which residents can access at http://www.trees.org.uk">www.trees.org.uk or by calling 01242 522152. 

For more advice and information about tree preservation orders in West Devon visit http://www.westdevon.gov.uk">www.westdevon.gov.uk or call 01822 813600.