'Bloody eyesore' as Brighton's dead Christmas trees dumped

A pile of once-festive fir trees are rotting on the green in Montpelier Crescent, with some people even fearing the trees could pose a fire risk.

Residents said Brighton and Hove City Council began removing the trees after Christmas, but a huge collection of them remain two months later. 

Daniel Harding, 82, whose son lives near to the area, said the trees were the first thing he saw when driving on to Montpelier Crescent yesterday morning.

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The huge pile of trees on Montpelier Crescent (Image: The Argus/Andrew Gardner)

“It’s a bloody eyesore. It hits you in the face as you turn the corner,” he said.

“It’s always Brighton, isn’t it? It’s always the same, it’s Brighton all over. It’s a potential fire risk, especially fir trees – they’re a menace at the best of times.

“It’s not rocket science, they need to get rid of it,” he added.

“They have the facilities – they must do to get rid of the first half. It doesn’t take much.”

Another critic said that some people in Europe keep their Christmas trees up until February – but said Brighton’s effort to replicate the trend had gone too far.

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“On the Continent they come down on February 2,” said Andrew Murphy, 77, who lives opposite the site where the trees are dumped.

Andrew, a resident, said the council needs to act (Image: The Argus/ Andrew Gardner)

“They removed most of them, they were taking them away on a lorry, so it wouldn’t take much to do the rest.”

And even people visiting the area shared their shock at the city council’s inaction.

Owen Evans, 49, who lives near Preston Park, said: “I’m surprised. I wouldn’t have thought it’s too much trouble to clear.”

Most Christmas tree recycling points around the city were cleared away, though the Montpelier Crescent site only partially.

Brighton and Hove City Council was contacted for comment.