A woman has bemoaned the removal of a “much loved” cherry tree outside her home, but the council responsible insists it was necessary.

Imogene Savill said she was “angry and upset” after the tree in Scarsdale Road, South Harrow, was cut down as a safety measure.

Harrow Council carried out an emergency procedure on the tree as it said it was infested with fungus in several places and “in danger of collapse”.

But Ms Savill explained that her son, who works as a tree surgeon, said there was nothing wrong with it.

“In my opinion they’ve cut the tree down because they needed to carry out work on the road and they thought it would be in the way,” she said.

“It was healthy and had only recently been in glorious bloom. That tree had been there for at least 60 years but, once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s a horrible feeling.”

She was also disappointed with the swiftness of the council’s actions, arguing that there was no time to voice her opposition.

“There was nothing saying that work was going to be carried out, and certainly no consultation. Before anyone could say anything, they’d cut it down,” she said.

A spokesman from Harrow Council confirmed that the circumstances meant they had to remove the tree without warning.

He said: “While our contractor would normally put a notice up before removing a tree, this one needed to come down right away.”

He added that workers had spoken to Ms Savill before the felling to explain what was happening and the reasons behind it.