Meet the tree surgeons keeping Hull safe during storms

There are 60,000 trees around Hull, almost half on street verges, and three or four teams work day-in, day-out to manage them.

They inspect trees for safety issues, including by using ultrasound technology to check their health internally. Diseased, damaged and diverging trees (where branches cross) are earmarked for action.

Routine work can include branch removal, canopy reduction and pollarding – a method of pruning that keeps trees smaller than they would naturally grow.

In more extreme cases, a tree can be removed if there is thought to be a significant danger.

“Removal is usually the last option,” says Andrew Wilson, the open space development officer at the council.

“We have some historic plantings, like here in the Avenues, where they were created to have that avenue impact, and they’ve done their job for many years.

“Obviously they come to the end of their lives eventually, and we have a planting programme to make sure we have sustainable verges.”