Portsmouth magistrates fine man £8,000 after Horndean tree cut down

Mark Funnell, 55, of Lith Avenue, Horndean, pleaded guilty at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court.

Eat Hampshire District Council said it was alerted in January 2020 to a ‘large digger… destroying the protected woodland’.

The woodland had been ‘subsumed into Funnell’s garden,’ the council said.

Cllr Ingrid Thomas said: ‘EHDC has a duty protect our environment and our trees and we take breaches of our TPOs very seriously.

‘It’s important that our residents know that we will prosecute anyone who disregards these protective orders, just as we have done in this case.’

Funnell must pay an £8,000 fine, a £181 victim surcharge and £2,030 costs to the council.

In all, he must pay £10,211 by December 31. Funnell previously denied the charge but changed his plea.

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