Mulberry trees to get the chop in case fruit stains pavement

HEY stand sentinel at the park entrance, as they have done for as long as anyone can remember.

But the long watch of two mulberry trees is to be brought to an end - as council officials fear their fruit might stain a new pavement.

The removal of the 70ft trees for such a 'trivial' reason has infuriated park-goers.

Bizarrely, their removal has been triggered by a heritage restoration of the 17th century Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens in South London.

Lambeth Council is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds to recapture the former glory of the park, near the Albert Embankment, which was Albert Embankment, which was hugely popular in the early 1800s, with up to 20,000 people visiting it to watch musical performances, illuminated fountains and hot air balloon races.

It is not known exactly when the two mulberry trees in question were planted in the 12-acre park, formerly known as Spring Gardens, but they are mature and some species can live for hundreds of years.

In an email, Jeff Raggett, the council's cultural arts development manager, wrote: 'The mulberry trees have red berries that will stain the new granite sets which will therefore require additional cleaning to maintain the newly paved surface.'

But locals are furious that the mulberry trees are being 'cast aside' in the haste to renovate the park - which has already had two 40ft black concrete illuminated pillars built at the entrance, just yards from the mulberry trees.

One, Suzanne Nicholas, told the council she was 'disgusted' by the plans. She added: 'I am concerned that whoever designed the "makeover" does not have sufficient expertise in gardening to recognise the value of the mulberry trees already standing at the entrance.