A PARENT has branded a council’s action as “diabolical” after workers removed a young boy’s tree house.

Julie Howard, 55, said her step son aged 12 spent his birthday money to buy tools to build the tree house in London Road, Vange.

But Basildon Council workers told the family that as the tree house was put in a council owned tree they workers could destroy it.

The council claim it prosed “significant risk” and therefore had to be removed from the tree.

The tree house was large enough for two young boys to sit together in it.

The angry parent said: “We were told it had to be removed for health and safety reasons.

“I told them that young people have nothing else to do as we have no parks or youth clubs about.

“He wanted to use his birthday money on the tools to build the tree house.

“It is a fair size and the council said it would destroy it.

“When the council workers came down on Wednesday my step son sat in the tree house in protest.

“The council worker was even trying to get him down by telling him that his dad has McDonald’s food for him.

“They then came round to our house to speak with us about the health and safety dangers.

“It is an eyesore but it is not hurting anyone.

“I think what the council has done is diabolical.

“We were told that if my son fell from the tree we would be liable for it.”

She said she told the council that her son was just having fun and that everyone had done it.

The council told the family they would return the next day to remove the tree house.

A Basildon Council spokesman, said: “Officers attended to inspect the tree and found that the structure had been built on a dead branch which posed a significant risk of giving way.

“The tree was also located on council-owned land close to a busy public highway.

“Council officers spoke to those responsible for building the tree house and removed it to ensure public safety.”