OFFICIALS say the case of a homeowner ordered to pay out tens of thousands of pounds after destroying a protected tree went to "another level".

As reported in the Daily Echo, Samuel Wilson was told he must reimburse the taxpayer £21,750 - the amount his illegal act added to the value to his £1m property. He was also fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £15,000 costs.

A court heard that in 2016 Wilson, 40, added a new Juliet balcony to the master bedroom of his home in Frankland Crescent, Canford Cliffs.

But afterwards he realised it was left covered in shade by the oak tree in his south-west facing back garden. The mature specimen was subject to a tree preservation order and Wilson should have sought permission from the local authority to prune it back.

Instead he ignored its protected status and chopped off 12ft long branches from the top of the 42ft tall tree, allowing sunlight to hit the back of his property. It left the tree looking butchered and experts say they doubt it will properly recover.

Last week, Wilson became the first person to be fined under the Proceeds of Crime Act for a case involving light.

Andy Dearing, enforcement team manager at Poole council, said: “We are not aware of any other case in the UK where there has been a Proceeds of Crime case based on the benefit of improved light to a property from the destruction of a tree.

"But [it] took the matter to another level because it looked at the benefit of that criminal activity and we said it was to gain an increase of between £21,000 to £30,000 in the value of his property.”

A neighbour reported the destruction to Poole council. Two council surveyors estimated the added value to the detached house was £21,750 and £30,000 respectively.

Wilson, who runs a student housing business, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the wilful damage to a protected tree at a previous hearing and appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing.