A WOMAN has been fined £11,000 after a neighbour pointed out to the council that two protected trees in her garden had been cut down.

Ratanjeet Sidhu, 35, of New Forest Lane in Chigwell, said the oak and hornbeam were destroyed by a friend of a friend who she had employed to clear her back yard, and that she was unaware that the trees were covered by a 26-year-old preservation order.

Sidhu claimed that the work, which cost her £500, was not supposed to include the felling of the trees and that it had been done in her absence back in June 2009.

She also said she had been unable to get in contact with the person who carried out the work since then.

But Epping Magistrates Court decided that Sidhu's account was unsubstantiated, and found her guilty of breaking the order.

A spokesman for Epping Forest District Council said if the work had been done by a qualified professional it would have cost somewhere in the region of £2,000.

He added: “The magistrates stated that when fixing the fines they had taken into account Ms Sidhu’s financial circumstances and the fact that she was now arranging for the replacement of one of the trees at a cost of approximately £1,800.

“They had also taken into account the loss of amenity to the area by the felling of the trees.

“They did not believe that there was any evidence that the work had been carried out for financial gain and this was not therefore reflected in the fines.”

She was also ordered to pay £645 in costs.