NETWORK Rail says it has had to remove large trees from the side of a railway line in Chester because they pose a "high risk" to the railway.

The company added that it understands the work will be "upsetting" for people living on The Holkham near Vicars Cross.

Yesterday we reported how residents had expressed their anger over the removal of the trees on the embankment close to their homes.

Many were left shocked by the volume of trees that have been felled, with one homeowner attempting to guard them. 

Zoologist and wildlife TV presenter Megan McCubbin, stepdaughter of naturalist Chris Packham CBE, had also voiced her concerns over the impact on "vital habitat" after being made aware of the ongoing work via Twitter.

However, Network Rail says some of the tree species beside the Chester line grow tall rapdily and risk being blown down onto the tracks during stormy weather.

It is also stated that leaves shed from the trees and stick to the tracks which is "dangerous".

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “We understand that cutting lineside trees like this can be upsetting to people and we wrote to nearby residents in February explaining why such large trees so close to tracks need to be removed for the safe running of the railway.

“Some tree species beside the Chester line grow tall rapidly and risk being blown down onto tracks during stormy weather.

"They also shed their leaves in the autumn sticking to rails making train wheels skid, which is dangerous.

“Network Rail ecologists make inspections before any work to prevent protected wildlife from being disturbed.

"Only trees which pose a high risk to the railway are removed and where possible, we’ll keep lower growing native species to provide some refuge for wildlife while more lower level vegetation returns.

"We’re constantly trying to balance the needs of the environment with running a safe and reliable railway for passengers and freight.”