The Dane John’s famous avenue of trees will look a little sparse in the new year when council contractors cut them back.

More than £20,000 will be spent on pollarding 60 lime trees in a bid to boost their lifespan and encourage new growth.

The authority has warned there will be a stark difference to the way they look as the upper branches will be pruned, but say they will come back healthier and stronger.

Cllr Neil Baker says the much needed work, last carried out six years ago, will substantially change the look of the garden.

He said: “The avenue of lime trees in the Dane John is a key feature of the park and we want to see them thriving for many years to come.

“Pollarding can look harsh to the untrained eye and it is certainly the case that they will look very different. But it’s a well established way of reinvigorating trees, and great care will be taken to ensure this work is carried out to a very high standard.”

Tree surgeons want to keep the avenue in an orderly style, so therefore those thought to be hollow or too frail might have to be removed.

If cut down, they may be replaced with new trees, but only if it is thought they will prosper.

The £22,400 scheme is expected to start in January and last a month, weather-permitting.