Council workers remove conkers from tree over safety fears

Conkers have been removed from a large horse chestnut tree in part of Nottingham over safety fears. City council workers used a high-rise platform to remove conkers from a tree on Queen's Walk in the Meadows on Friday.

The council said a girl suffered a serious head injury last year after being hit by a stick - thrown up into the tree to dislodge conkers. It said action was being taken to avoid further injuries.



Michael Williams, the city council's corporate director of communities, said the tree was the largest and most accessible horse chestnut in the area and was a target for children trying to collect conkers in the autumn. He said: "It is on a main thoroughfare - including a route to school - and is bombarded with a huge number of sticks, branches and even metal bars.

"We don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but after last year's incident, and following some damage to nearby properties, it was decided to collect the conkers for children to safely pick up from the ground to avoid the possibility of further injuries." The council said it was not planning to remove conkers from any more trees in the area.

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