A company has been handed a huge court fine after illegally destroying a protected tree in a popular park.

Representatives for Slough Estates Limited appeared in court last week after a representative for the company admitted to ‘cut down uprooted or wilfully destroyed a tree’ at Kennedy Park recreation ground between January 7 and January 12, 2022.

The tree was located on the south side of Twist Way.

For breaching two sections of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the company was fined £2,000.

In addition to this, the firm was told to pay £2,520 in costs and a £190 victim surcharge.

This brought their total bill to £4,710.

The case was brought by Slough Borough Council, which looks after the recreation ground.

Slough Estates Limited is based at Culver Grove, Stanmore, in Middlesex.

Two men in their sixties from Middlesex were charged in connection with this act, but the accusations were later dropped.