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Conker picking service provided by council

A council is paying contractors £100 per tree to remove conkers. Officials are worried that locals’ windows will be broken as children throw objects into the trees to dislodge the chestnuts, reports the Sun. The contractors remove the conkers from the trees at Tarring Park, in Worthing, Sussex and leave them on the ground so children can still play with them.

Peter Whish, the council’s tree officer, said “We’re basically saving the council some money. One resident regularly has her windows broken in her conservatory by people throwing things into the tree. “There was a good conker crop so she gave us a call early and we were able to respond.”

The bill is likely to run into thousands of pounds, but will hopefully avoid potential insurance claims from local residents.

John Hadman, World Conker Championships organizer, said the council was ruining the conkers by not allowing them to fall naturally. He said “If a conker hasn’t fallen to the ground naturally then it isn’t ready to play. I’d be questioning how my council tax was being spent.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .