A group of 50 year old poplar trees which were due to be felled by Cornwall Council have earned a reprieve after campaigning by one Falmouth resident.

Perry Stacey, of Gyllyng Street, worked with tree specialists and Cornwall Councillor Candy Atherton to broker a deal which will see Cornwall Council pollard the trees, which were thought to be dying due to poisoning two years ago, rather than chop them down.

Mr Stacey started work to save the trees, which are at a site near the old Smithick School, overlooking Falmouth harbour, after Cormac workers appeared with chainsaws two weeks ago.

After receiving a tree surgeon’s report on the poplars, he wrote an email to councillors which said: “I am sure you will be as pleased as I am to learn that we do not have to lose these trees completely.

“Please can I request that you ask Cornwall Council to review their decision to fell the trees and postpone to allow reassessment.”

In a response on Tuesday morning, Councillor Atherton wrote: “I am delighted to be able to tell you that I have brokered a deal with Colin Hawke and Falmouth Town Council.”Cornwall Council will pollard the trees by 50 per cent and underplant new trees, with Falmouth Town Council undertaking to look after them.

This will give the new trees time to establish, while reducing the risk of injury from the diseased trees.She thanked Mr Stacey for his work in saving the trees, and added: “Like you I do not want to reward criminal behaviour and wish that we could take action against the person or persons who attacked the trees in the first place.”

The report, by Tim Price of Tretec, Scorrier, found that the trees were currently showing signs of life and growth, and that whoever had drilled and attempted to poison them had done so “very inexpertly”, causing local damage rather than systemic poisoning.

Mr Price said there is “good wound growth” and the trees are “vigorous”, and added: “It will be interesting to see what the trees look like when they come into leaf.”