A TREE on Malvern Wells Common has been deliberately killed, Malvern Hills Conservators heard.

The grey poplar, in Lower Wyche Road, has been ring-barked - where a thin strip of bark is removed around the trunk to kill it - as well as drilled with holes which have then been filled with a substance.

The find was made during the Conservators' annual tree study, which assesses which trees may need trimming or felling.

Conservators conservation officer, David Whitehorne said: "The tree consultant said he could smell a fuel, something like paraffin, or poison, coming from the tree."

Mr Whitehorne, who said he was unaware of this ever happening before, believed the culprit would have been working on the tree for a considerable period of time.

"I'm no expert on trees but I would be surprised if you could kill it in one go," he said.

The rest of the annual survey found that only two other trees on Conservators' land will need to be felled.

One includes a lime tree at the side of the road across Malvern Common which is dying, possibly of root disease.

Other trees requiring attention include a black poplar outside All Saints Church, in Hollybush. It will be re-pollarded over the next five years.