A towering tree at the centre of a row over whose responsibility it is has been thinned and reduced in size by a Good Samaritan local company.

A team from Shenley-based Gristwood and Toms carried out the work on the tree in Claudian Place, St Albans, at no charge last Wednesday.

They offered to do the work after reading about the aspen tree which was dominating the house of an elderly resident in Claudian Place, St Albans, in the Herts Advertiser.

Brenda Kember, a neighbour of Ljubia Bagai over whose house the tree was looming, took up the cudgels on her behalf and set about trying to establish who had responsibility for it.

But neither St Albans district council - which planted the tree and has cut the grass on the Verulam Estate for nearly 40 years - nor Herts county council was prepared to carry out the work and Brenda was at her wit’s end when she came to the Herts Advertiser.

Darren Kilby, head of sales and marketing at Gristwood and Toms, said that when they saw the article, they realised there was a simple solution to a complicated problem.

The company offered to reduce the size of the tree, remove dead wood from it and improve the shape.

Not only did they not charge for the work but Darren presented Ljubia with a bouquet of flowers when the work was completed.

Brenda said this week: “It is much improved. They have thinned it and did a fantastic job.”

The company has also given Ljubia some advice about a soakaway because of problems being caused to her home by the roots.

Brenda is still battling to get someone to take some responsibility for the tree in the longer term and is hoping St Albans MP Anne Main can bring some influence to bear.