The tale of Jean Bennett -- the pensioner who fell victim to a tree cutting company not approved by the borough council -- has a happy ending.

The 74-year-old owner of a lime tree 'pruned' so badly it was declared a danger to the public was bailed out of the mess she was in by a kind-hearted officer at Hertsmere Borough Council.

But she was lucky.

It is highly likely that anyone else attempting to 'save money' by employing an unapproved company to cut back their trees will find themselves forking out another few hundred pounds from their own pockets to get the damage repaired -- there is no way the council can afford to foot the bill for everyone.

So the lesson Mrs Bennett learned should be a lesson for us all. As she said when she discovered the appalling state of her precious tree: "What is cheap is dear in the long run."

The council has stressed time and time again that no matter how tempting it may be to employ a tree surgeon who claims to be cheaper than others, unless they have been approved they should be avoided.

If everyone took that advice and consulted the experienced council officers before choosing a firm, there would probably be fewer irreputable tree surgeons in the borough touting for business. Maybe they would even give it up altogether and take the time to actually learn how to do the job before trading again.

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