ALL pensioner Terry Hayward wanted to do was create a beautiful area for his community where his neighbours could sit on a bench and enjoy his trees and flowers.

He invested not only his own money, but considerable time and energy too, into making an area of council grass into an attractive garden.

He asked the council first if he could plant a tree to mark the millennium and then felt he wanted to do more to make the area more enjoyable.

But his neighbours didn't appreciate his efforts to improve the environment and have complained their children cannot play football on the green because of the trees, even though there is a recreation area for that purpose nearby.

One neighbour even started a petition to get the garden ripped up blaming Mr Hayward for trying to stop youngsters playing football.

Now the council is proposing the trees should be taken out following the complaints.

It seems such a shame after Mr Hayward has made an effort at his own expense to put a little colour into an otherwise drab green area.