More needs to be done to protect nests

The reason he was so upset is because ivy is one of nature’s most precious plants for wildlife.

It flowers at the time of year when not many other plants are in flowers, so it is vital for insects.

Later in the year it has masses of berries, much loved by blackbirds, pigeons and thrushes, but most of all many species of birds including sparrows, wrens, blackbirds, robins and blue tits love to nest in it.

The baby birds are protected from the wind and extremes of temperature by the leaves.

Once ivy has been cut down it takes many years to grow back again.

WSCC did such a good job of destroying it in the Lower Bognor Road that it has never begun to grow back.

Imagine my horror when the other morning I came by the entrance to Pinehurst Park in Rose Green to see workers from West Sussex County Council ripping the ivy off of those lovely mature trees that are close by in Hewarts Lane.

Why is it that in these hard economic times, the council still have enough money to send out teams of men to go around and vandalise the very few precious spaces left for wildlife?

I called the council to tell them that someone must stop this ivy being cut down as it would be full of nesting birds and it is a criminal offence to disturb them.

I was passed around from one person to another and told to call the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

In the end I was told someone would call me back and they did to ask me the location of the trees (twice!).

After that I never heard anything back.

When I eventually went back to see the trees, the ivy had been cut to ground level.

To the readers of the Observer – do you want your council tax spent on destroying precious nest sites or would you rather WSCC spent your money on filling in the shocking and dangerous potholes on our roads?

Patricia West

St Peters Close, Bognor Regis