Walker's fury at woodland work and says: 'A drunk could do better'

Essential work at Thieves Wood, off Coxmoor Road, near Ravenshead, is underway to thin out parts of overgrown forest.

But regular visitors to the natural area says the work has left a trail of destruction rather than improve matters.

Alan Reeson, from the Ladybrook estate in Mansfield, walks his dog in the woods every Sunday, and said: “It’s been going on for about three or four weeks and it’s just been left in an awful mess.

“They’ve gone in there with heavy machinery and left tracks that are about two feet deep.

“They’ve hacked some logs down and just left them there and I would say they’ve destroyed about 70 to 75 per cent of the wild orchids.

“A drunk could de a better job than these.

“Some of the tracks are now impassable and the place has been absolutely wrecked.”

Another walker on the site, who did not want to be named, said: “Everybody is angry about this, it looks awful and people have stopped coming here.”

The work is being carried out by a Surrey-based harvesting company, thought to have been hired by the Forestry Commission, who has defended the work.

In a statement, it said consultation had taken place with experts to minimise damage.

It added: “However, due to particularly wet weather conditions there has been some ground damage through the movement of the machines through the wood, which looks unsightly at present, but we will be reviewing and assess roads and official tracks at the end of the operation and any remedial work or repairs that are required will be undertaken.”