CAN anybody explain why the council has destroyed those lovely, graceful, poplar trees which, until last month, grew adjacent to Exeter Street roundabout?

This is just the latest example of the council ruining mature trees around the city, except that this time they have taken them down to ground level.

Close examination of the remaining stumps suggest no evidence of disease.

Maybe, following the winter floods, the one nearest the river might have been in danger of falling into the water (like the one opposite the bottom of Tollgate Road, a year or two ago), but the others were thriving, beautiful big trees, with a lovely free shape, exquisite buds in spring, followed by magnificent catkins, and then tremendous leaves - green one side and silvery the other.

They could have presented no danger or inconvenience to anybody and are sadly missed.

Malcolm Sturgess

Salisbury

A spokesman for Salisbury City Council said: “As a result of the flooding and high winds last winter the trees next to the roundabout shifted dangerously towards the road, the steps and the public footpath leading into Churchill Gardens.

“This wasn’t the result of the trees being diseased; the winds caused the trees to move, something accentuated by the soft, waterlogged ground around the bases of the trees.

“Given where the trees were likely to fall – and the possible impact to people and/or property – the trees were reduced and then felled. The council is currently considering what to plant here to replace the trees; this should happen this winter or early spring 2015.”