A FUMING landscaper who has tended to the verge outside his home for more than 20 years has accused council contractors of “decimating” the grass and trees.

Peter Halliday has demanded the team, who were carrying out work to install a broadband cable in Gorse Lane, Clacton, return to repair the damage.

He has accused the workers of causing permanent damage to the roots of an Ash tree and even leaving a cable exposed.

“It is disgusting,” said Mr Halliday, who is a former leader of Tendring Council.

“They have completely decimated my grass verge and caused untold damage to the root system of the tree, taking a lump out of the trunk with their digger.

“A cable was left exposed and I don’t want to pull it up to see if it is a discarded off cut, but it certainly won’t perform well under a lawn mower and poses a nasty trip hazard.

“The tree in the verge is an ash, which is in decline across the country.

“If this tree dies from their thoughtless actions I will be fuming.”

Some scientists have claimed ash dieback, the fungus experts fear could wipe out the UK’s 125 million ash trees, will cost the UK almost £15 billion.

If action is not taken to repair the grass verge, Mr Halliday promises to carry out the work himself and send the bill on to bosses at Essex County Council.

“As a landscaping contractor, if I left the road in this state the council inspectors would have me over the coals as quickly as possible,” he said.

“Yet approved and accreditation holding contractors turn out this rubbish.

“The bar has got to be set higher.

“If the verge is not reinstated to an acceptable standard and the highway repaired to a safe standard I will do it myself and send on the bill.”

The work was carried out last Wednesday evening.

Mr Halliday added: “In the deed that verge belongs to me, I have lived there for 23 years, always cut the grass and kept it looking nice on both sides.

“That work has been undone.”

A spokesman for Essex County Council said the authority “regretted” the state the verge had been left in.

He added: “Our streetworks inspector will visit to check the work and then, as looks right from these photos, insist the cable company contractor puts it right.”