A retired doctor has been acquitted after his neighbour took out a private prosecution following accusations he "chopped down" his tree in a bid to get more light into his garden.
Niall Martin, 72, cut the 40ft tall Holly - that his neighbour claims is worth £56,000 - to allow more sunlight onto his flower beds in a Solihull conservation area in the West Midlands.
Mr Martin's neighbour David Sandom said he was "angry" when he noticed that workmen had taken the tree down without his permission as he said the Holly was on his side of the garden and he did not want to remove it.
