RESIDENTS living in the shadow of a golf club's 65ft leylandii trees say they are ruining their lives.

People living in Briar Walk, Darlington, have been fighting for five years to have the trees pruned.

They say they had written notice in 1980 from Blackwell Grange Golf Club, which owns the trees, saying it would keep them under control. And for the past two years they have had the support of Darlington MP Alan Milburn, who has spoken to the club on their behalf.

Roy Hughes, a spokesman for the eight residents affected, said the trees have a detrimental effect on their gardens, extracting nutrition from the ground and blocking out light.

At this time of year, the eight homeowners living in the shadow of the trees needed their lights on all day downstairs because no daylight was getting into their homes.

Mr Hughes said: "We have been asking for something to be done for many years and got commitment in writing which was never implemented."

He said plans for legislation allowing action to be taken on the fast-growing trees had been announced, showing there was good reason to have them pruned.

"The trees, because they are now so high, have virtually destroyed that part of the gardens closest to them. They are taking all the nutrients from the soil and depriving the gardens of light," he said.

Mr Milburn said: "This is a long-running dispute which, it seems to me, could easily be resolved.

"Mr Hughes and his neighbours have tried for many years to persuade Blackwell Grange to reduce the height of the trees.

"I hope that the club now takes the residents' concerns more seriously and that the necessary work is done soon."

The golf club's honorary secretary, Stephen Burkill, would give no reason why the matter had taken so long to be resolved, but said that this week the club had been looking at quotes from experts to do the work.

He said that the club's greenkeepers would carry it the work on the trees as soon as budgeting and weather conditions permitted.