FIVE historic trees in Tavistock town centre are to face the axe, following publication of a report revealing they pose a risk to the public. The trees are three limes on the West Street side of St Eustachius Church and two further limes in the grounds of Abbey Chapel. A younger silver birch in the parish churchyard also faces the chop. Members of the town council's properties committee were last week told the lime trees, classed as 'mature' and probably at least 100 years old, were suffering 'multiple wounds' from previous pollarding work. There were also dead limbs on all the trees, some of which were overhanging paths and roads. The silver birch has a large cavity on one side and is decayed across the entire diameter of the tree. Town clerk Roger Howard said: 'They are about 20 metres high, so they are quite big and the dead limbs are overhanging paths which is worrying, so the recommendation is to fell and replace them as an immediate priority. 'Unfortunately, they have to come down. If an expert tells you something is dangerous, you have to act on their advice.' Col Howard said according to the report, the sheltered location of the churchyard lime trees was probably the reason they were still standing, but 'very heavy public use of this area would make any structural failure a very serious threat to public safety'. The council commissions a survey on all the trees it owns in the town approximately every five years. Ongoing maintenance work was carried out by works staff and the council would re-plant any trees that had to be felled. 'The good news is that the honour oak is still alive and well,' said Col Howard. The reports states the oak, which marks the parish boundary with Whitchurch, was the most historically important tree in Tavistock. It is completely hollow but still in vigorous condition, though two upper limbs need to be removed to reduce the weight of the crown. Cllr Iain Andrews, chairman of the committee, said: 'The problem is, if we have clear recommendations that these be dealt with, whatever the views of the tree preservation group, health and safety of the public must be paramount.' A copy of the tree survey has been given to the town's tree preservation group. Brian Fyfield-Shayler, co-ordinator of the group, said he had not yet received a copy, but that it would be a 'tremendous tragedy' if the lime trees were felled: 'They are part of the original Duke of Bedford planting, they're the only trees left in West Street, Duke Street and Brook Street, I think they are visually and historically very important and every measure should be taken to keep them going.' Mr Fyfield-Shayler applauded the council's decision to undertake regular surveys into the health of Tavistock's trees and carry out work to ensure their health. But he said felling should be a last option where trees were near roads or paths, purely because of a 'very unlikely' occurence of an accident. He said the group would be inspecting the tree survey 'in great detail' and would make its recommendations to the council in due course.