A PENSIONER said his life is being made a misery by a large sycamore tree that has caused a 6ft garden wall to lean and crack.

Roots from the tree, which is covered by a preservation order, have disturbed the foundations of the wall, which is at the home of Richard Lamming, 75, of Aiskew, Bedale.

Mr Lamming has applied to Hambleton District Council for permission to cut it down.

But he has been told that he must first pay for an arborist to write a report on the tree.

Mr Lamming said that the report could cost him as much as £500.

He said: "The wall has gone from leaning by half an inch to leaning by four and a half inches.

"If it fell it could knock the conservatory down and I am concerned about the neighbour's children playing in the garden.

"I lose sleep over this," he said.

"I do live in fear. It is making my life quite miserable. To have it felled is the only answer."

Hambleton District Council's head of development services, Maurice Cann, said: "We would want to see an arborist's report before we took a decision.

"The council does not look to pay for it because it is on the applicant's shoulders to provide the evidence.

"We would then consider the report.

"If the report confirms what he is saying from an independent, qualified person, we would discuss that, then we will approve it if that is the right course of action."