Woodloes Avenue resident Julie Taylor believes a large oak tree next to her house is to blame for cracks in the brickwork of her home.

She and her husband John have lived in the house for 28 years, during which time the tree has grown to hang over her home and garden.

Now she is frustrated that Warwick District Council, which is responsible for the tree, is not prepared to cut it back.

Mrs Taylor said: “We have had a man from the council out to look at it a few times but that is all he does. All they say is that when we bought the house we knew there was a tree there but we have to sweep the leaves up every day.”

She and her husband John had to pay hundreds of pounds for a structural report on their house and guards to stop leaves clogging thier guttering.

Although the report said there was no subsidence, Mrs Taylor believes the tree should be trimmed.

The couple are also concerned other trees around the estate need to be trimmed to stop them overhanging footpaths.

She added: “They haven’t been cut back for three years.

“If you go for a walk some branches are so low that if you are blind or visually impaired it could be dangerous.”

Warwick District Council arboriculture strategy officer Chris Hastie explained that dangerously overgrown trees and subsidence were high on the council’s list of priorities, but preventing leaves falling across homes was not.

He said: “If there were trees overhanging footways a resident certainly won’t have been told we couldn’t do the work because of a lack of money.

“We take subsidence seriously but we like to see some evidence that it is a problem.

“Clearing gutters is something homeowners need to undertake as part of their own annual maintenance. We are not responsible for leaves once they have fallen off the tree.”