The owner of a fruit farm has said they made a mistake when mowing down flowering bluebells described as a "local landmark", likening the act to "shooting Bambi".

The cutting down of the bluebells on Monday in a coppiced woodland at the entrance to Hill Farm, in Ulcombe, has been described as "heartbreaking" by a local councillor and has even prompted wildlife TV presenter George McGavin to ask what happened.

Cllr Tony Harwood, who represents North Ward, said he saw the bluebells at Lenham Road at the weekend, before the strimming occurred.

He said: "It was so beautiful, it was a local landmark, you had this shimmering pool of bluebells.

"It's heartbreaking. It isn't just the impact on the local landscape character, it's the impact on our wildlife. That many flowers to be strimmed down takes away nutrition for the pollinators.

"It's just wanton destruction of natural beauty and wildlife.There is no justification for their destruction."

Cllr Harwood said that other wildflowers had been "strimmed to mush" as well as regrowth from coppice stools.

Maistone Borough Council's inventory does not list the spot as ancient woodland, although there are plantations on ancient woodland sites nearby, as shown in the inventory.

Sean Charlton, from Charltons, a fruit farming business which owns the land said staff had been sent to strim down vegetation, such as cow parsley, which was growing too high in the area.

The wood is between their production fields and a road on a "nasty bend" and the vegetation had created a visual obstruction for motorists, he explained.

Members of the estate maintenance team had strimmed down the bluebells by mistake, he said.

He explained: "They were naive to the fact of what bluebells are and how important they are. It's my mistake, I hold my hands up to that. They were cutting vegetation to create a safe place on the road, they have cut through bluebells that were in flower.

"It looks horrible, it's like shooting Bambi, we aren't proud of it."

Mr Charlton said systems will be introduced to prevent this happening again.

He added that the bluebells hadn't been killed and would return next year. He described the area as a "small" woodland, with bluebell sporadically placed throughout.

Pictures of the scene shared on social media prompted broadcaster George McGavin to email the farm, asking what happened. Mr Charlton has now responded with an explanation.

Cllr Harwood said: "I am hoping there is far more sensitive management of that woodland going forward. I hope this is a change in their approach that respects the natural environment."

Maidstone Borough Council has been approached for comment.

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