Hard-up Shropshire residents struggling to meet the cost of rising energy bills prices are targeting a community wood and chopping down trees for fuel, it was claimed today.

Councillor Edward Mason said the problem at the 80-acre Merrington Green on the outskirts of Shrewsbury was so bad that if it continued he would “end up living in a big, open field”.

Merrington Green, near Bomere Heath, is a community wood on common land which is used by families and dog walkers from the surrounding villages.

At a meeting of Bomere Heath Parish Council last night Councillor Mason, who lives opposite the woodland, said his wife had first spotted someone cutting down trees about a week ago.

Later on the same day he said he had been taking his bin out when he saw someone loading part of a tree into the boot of their car.

Mr Mason told colleagues the woodland was common land overseen by Shropshire Council and he was planning to notifying the area’s police officer so they could keep an eye on the woods.

He said: “If it carries on I’m going to end up living in a big open field.

“Although it’s common land only recognised commoners can pursue rights to the land.”

He said he was currently trying to establish the legal position on chopping trees down and whether the people removing the trees could be prosecuted in the same way as flytippers.

He said: “I’ve lived there all my life. We usually have a problem with people dumping rubbish.

“You aren’t allowed to cut trees down and you can’t even take fallen timber unless you’re a commoner.”

Mr Mason said he thought the taking of wood could be down to the recession which was leading people to find alternatives to buying fuel.

“The sale of woodburners has gone through the roof because of the cost of heating so you can’t blame people but at the end of the day it doesn’t belong to them.

“I have common rights to farm there but I can’t chop wood.

“The woodland is there for the community to use, it is parkland for people to walk in.”

Nobody was available for comment from Shropshire Council today.

By Emma Kasprzak