A COMPANY has been fined more than £14,000 for felling a protected tree at a home worth more than £1million in Ascot – despite the owner asking them if permission was needed.

Artemis Tree and Garden Services lLtd, which has stopped trading since the incident, felled a sycamore tree at the rear of Buckstone House, on Furlong Drive, in November 2014.

The property sold for £1.2m last year.

Belinda Smith, of Bangor Road North, Iver, Buckinghamshire, was on site when the offence took place and ignored repeated questions by the owner as to whether council permission was needed for the work. She was fined £9,000.

Her co-director Samuel Smith, of Grove Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire was fined with £5,400.

The company was fined a further £150, making a total fine of £14,550.

The homeowner received a caution due to the company’s negligence.

Cllr Derek Wilson, cabinet member for planning on Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council, said: “We take incidents like this extremely seriously and will always seek to prosecute when a protected tree is felled without the appropriate permission.

“Trees are an important part of the look and feel of an area and are often popular local landmarks.

“I am delighted that in this case the magistrates clearly recognised the seriousness of this offence.”

The defendants pleaded guilty at Reading Magistrates' Court on Friday, August 7, to a charge of cutting down, up-rooting or the wilful destruction of a tree contrary to the town and country planning act 2012.

Tree protection orders are administered by local planning authorities and protect trees that bring significant amenity benefit to anthe area.

The protection order makes it a criminal offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot or wilfully damage a tree without the authority’s permission.

In the most serious cases a crown court can hand out an unlimited fine for damaging the trees.