TREES on a flood defence in Worcester have died less than a year after they were planted.

It is not known exactly how many of the 86 trees planted on the Hylton Road bund in November have succumbed to “challenging” planting conditions.

The clay-based ground has been blamed for the trees’ demise and some will be replaced in the autumn.

Sue Webster, of Windsor Avenue, St John’s, Worcester, rides her bicycle along the riverside and across the Sabrina Bridge every day on her way to work.

She said: “I don’t think the trees have developed as they should. A lot of them are completely devoid of life.

“Some have 20 per cent leaf cover only, while others are clearly dead and will need replacing.

“I’ve also noticed some trees are missing, which seems to suggest they have either been vandalised or they are dead.”

The £650,000 earth bund project was built last year to protect more than 10 homes and several businesses from the river Severn, with the idea that it should help to keep Hylton Road open to traffic in all but the most severe flooding.

As part of the process, 50 established trees, including ash, willow, sycamore and birch, were felled.

However, 86 trees, including species of yew, silver birch, a disease-resistant variety of elm and a variety of oak which grows upwards and not outwards, together with pine, poplar and willow, were planted in their place.Ms Webster said: “They took a lot of trees out when they built the bund. They were well established and an amazing habitat for wildlife.

“When they put the new trees in I thought, ‘That’s fine’, but they haven’t looked after them.

“I do not know what the council is going to do about it.”

The Environment Agency has contracted the responsibility to maintain the trees to Worcester City Council, which would not tell your Worcester News how many had died.

Horticulture officer Martin Lewis said: “Some of the trees which were planted by this section of Hylton Road have unfortunately died, despite every effort to maintain and water them regularly.

“This is probably due to the clay-based ground conditions in the area.

“Despite having incorporated about 40 tonnes of soil improver into the tree pits, the planting conditions were always likely to be challenging.

“We will be replacing the trees in the autumn with alternative species which we believe will fare much better.”