A TRADER believes fallen fruit from two crab apple trees is posing a danger to pedestrians, and has called for the trees to be removed.
Kaye Thurgood, the owner of card shop Sincerely Yours in Hutton Road, Shenfield, said she had seen several people slip over on the crab apples, and one pensioner required stitches after a fall outside her shop.
Mrs Thurgood told the Gazette: "The fruits of the tree just coat the floor and get trodden into a slippery mess.
"It's not an accident waiting to happen – the accidents are already happening and they will just get worse.
"It would help if the council at least pruned the trees or cleared up the fruit, but they don't.
"I don't hate trees – in fact I would like more of them in the street, however this tree, at this point of the path, is hazardous.
"I have seen so many accidents, often involving elderly people and I am just highly concerned that something more serious will happen."
Mrs Thurgood said she had contacted Brentwood Borough Council but to no avail.
She added: "Pruning it regularly would help and so would sweeping up the fruit quickly when it starts dropping, but in the four years I have been here I have only seen it pruned once."
Clive Othen, the chairman of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, said: "We are concerned with the number of incidents involving people slipping over on the fruits and injuring themselves.
"We would not like to see the removal of trees permanently.
"However, we would support the replacement of them with mature trees that are more suitable for the road.
"We are prepared to help pay towards these improvements."
An Essex County Council spokesman said: "Brentwood Borough Council undertakes inspection and maintenance on behalf of Essex Highways. Removal of healthy trees is unlikely.
"In my experience, in exceptional circumstances, there may be reason to remove a single tree if it is producing a significant excess of fruit and it was thought to be in the public interest.
"Pruning would only really have effect on fruit production in the year it was undertaken so is not really a viable solution to these type of issues."
A borough council spokesman said: "As part of our schedule, we sweep the pavement at Hutton Road for detritus, including any fallen fruit, every weekday.
"We would only prune the trees upon request from Essex County Council.
"There is no scheduled works for trees at this stage."
