Clumsy drivers and pet owners pinning up missing notices are damaging trees - with some being chopped down.

Tree experts have warned that pet owners pinning up missing dog and cat posters puts the city's trees at risk to pests and diseases.

Residents are being advised to tie notices on to trees using string instead of using pins or staples, which create tiny holes that make the trees more susceptible to parasites and diseases.

And Brighton and Hove City Council said three trees in Springfield Road, Brighton, and several in Shaftsbury Road, Brighton, had been removed because of “excessive bark damage by vehicles”.

Cabinet maker Bert Buri said: “I have lived on Springfield Road since 1967 when there were only four or five cars in the whole street.

“Gradually over time the street has become more congested but as the trees have always been here I believe it is the fault of drivers for hitting them.”

Company director Dominic Margles, 29, from Shaftesbury Road, said: “The council could paint the bottom metre and a half of trees white to increase their visibility to drivers.”

A spokeswoman for charity Trees for Cities said: “Many of the most significant trees in our towns and cities were planted more than a century ago, so although this living legacy is wonderful, it is under serious pressure and in steep decline.”

Tree campaigner Millie Ferguson, who led the campaign to save the elm tree in Vernon Terrace in Brighton, said: “I think people have to recognise the bigger picture, that everything is a living thing and is deserving of consideration.”

Brighton and Hove City Council's member for environment Councillor Pete West said: “We are not aware of any trees being lost as a direct result of fixing posters, but we would advise the public to avoid damaging the bark with nails or pins as this can introduce fungal or bacterial disease.

“However, three trees have been removed from Springfield Road and several from Shaftsbury Road due to excessive bark damage by vehicles.

“In addition several trees have been lost in the city as a result of road traffic accidents and have been replaced.”