A man who unlawfully cut down two protected trees in Ifield was fined a total of £7,881 at Crawley Magistrates’ Court last week

Damian Sawyer was prosecuted by Crawley Borough Council and pleaded guilty to felling a cherry tree and a yew tree contrary to a tree protection order.

In 2015, Mr Sawyer had applied to the council to chop down one of the trees. His application was refused.

 He was also ordered to pay the prosecution costs and government surcharge.