Storm's huge tree toll

High winds destroyed more than 1,000 trees on Cannock Chase, causing damage running into tens of thousands of pounds, in what has been branded the worst battering of the beauty spot in a decade.

Rangers on Cannock Chase are still clearing up after recent high winds and said they had not seen damage on such a scale since 1987.

Forester Doug Stanley said staff were only now starting to get on top of clearing up the extreme damage caused last month but claimed there was still a lot more work to be done.

He said: "We are by no means done with cleaning up after the high winds and can now estimate that we probably lost over 1,000 trees.

It's the worst wind-related damage we've seen since 1987." Mr Stanley added: "It really affects the landscape of Cannock Chase."

He said the majority of the timber from the fallen trees would go on to be used as pulp for making paper.