A council has apologised after a “mini forest” of trees planted by eco-minded pupils in the grounds of their Petersfield school was accidentally cut down.

Parents and pupils were left feeling “incredibly saddened” after the trees planted in the grounds of Herne Junior School were cut down by contractors working on behalf of East Hampshire District Council (EHDC).

A micro forest – also called a Miyawaki – with a variety of native tree species was planted early this year in a bid to improve biodiversity, capture carbon, and alleviate some of the flooding problems around the school.

The trees were funded by the South Downs National Park Authority and their ‘ReNaturing Schools’ programme, with a similar scheme also taking place at TPS.

So youngsters who took part in the planting scheme organised by Herne Farm resident and environmentalist Paul Turner were dismayed when the trees were mowed down by EHDC contractors at the end of term.

Herne Junior School Petersfield hedge planting
Pupils at Herne Junior School planted a "mini-forest" to improve biodiversity and reduce flooding early this year. (Paul Turner)

The good news for HJS and its green-thinking pupils is that EHDC has offered to replace the trees at its own expense, as requested by some parents.

The school also received an apology ahead of the summer break with a spokesperson for the council putting the incident down to a genuine misunderstanding.

“We're very sorry that this happened,” said the spokesperson for EHDC, adding: “Our contractor, East Hants Norse, has apologised to the school and has offered to replace the trees at their own expense.

“It's fantastic to see young people getting involved in planting trees and learning about the environment, so it is a great shame to see the trees lost in this way. “

The spokesperson added: “We understand this was a genuine mistake and we're pleased that steps are already being taken to put things right as quickly as possible.”