The council was systematically cutting back my hedge with no regard for the nesting birds

Sir, – On June 8th, I had just come in from weeding in my garden, having been severely chastised by a robin who was most upset at my proximity to her nest in my cultivated hornbeam hedge, so I decided to ease her agitation by going indoors.

Within minutes, the quiet of my country lane was shattered by the unmistakable sound of hedge-cutting by heavy machinery. To my dismay, the hedges on both sides of the lane, a cul de sac just outside the town, were being systematically cut back with no regard for the nesting blackbirds and robins.

I contacted my local councillor, who called me back to say that Meath County Council was carrying out “a three-week programme of verge-cutting”. He was told it was only the verges that were being cut, not the hedges. I informed him that the hedges, including my own cultivated hedge, as well as natural hedging, which had all been cut in February, were presenting no visibility issues or danger to vehicles or pedestrians on the lane, and were indeed being cut with a flail cutter.

I immediately emailed the National Parks and Wildlife Service to inform them of this infringement of the law and included a photograph of the machines in action. I await a reply. – Yours, etc,