RESIDENTS who have lived for six years in the shadow of towering leylandii trees are pinning hopes for action on a meeting next month with Fenland Council. They have formed the Fairview High Hedge Action Group in Chatteris to try and get the trees lopped.

RESIDENTS who have lived for six years in the shadow of towering leylandii trees are pinning hopes for action on a meeting next month with Fenland Council.

They have formed the Fairview High Hedge Action Group in Chatteris to try and get the trees lopped.

Campaigner Peter Kersey said residents have already raised nearly £500 to apply for an ASBO to get the trees lopped but the application was rejected.

"Fenland Council also said we had not contacted the owner, Mr John Salisbury frequently enough and that we should contact him again."

Mr Kersey said: "We gave Mr Salisbury a while to think about it, but he never got back to us. We then wrote to him only a couple of weeks ago, saying that if he didn't get back to us we would reapply for the ASBO again."

Eighteen months ago Mr Salisbury, of Blackmill Road, said that if residents had not filled in a dyke on their side of the boundary, which cost him £16,000 to then install extra drainage, he would have lopped the trees.

"I shall lop them as soon as they put in a drain," he said at the time.

Mr Kersey said the action group was due to meet with the council again next month to discuss the matter further.

He said: "I hope we can come to an amicable agreement with Mr Salisbury but, at the minute, I would prefer an ASBO because once it is issued he has to abide by it."

The Cambs Times last year exposed weaknesses in the law covering leylandii trees and MP Malcolm Moss has taken up the residents' concerns.

He described current legislation as "a bad law which needs reviewing."

Mr Salisbury was unavailable for comment.