Felling of Torquay’s famous palm trees ‘pure vandalism’, say residents

Cutting down of dozens of trees on seafront of ‘English riviera’ town in Devon provokes public outcry

Palm trees that have welcomed visitors to the “English riviera” for a century have been cut down without warning in an act that residents have described as “pure vandalism”.

The felling of 40 trees in Torquay, Devon, has provoked a furious public outcry and accusations that the council has wrought a “soul-destroying”, “total destruction” of a world-famous seaside front.