Wandsworth Council spent nearly £40,000 of tax payers' money replacing the 51 trees it felled in Tooting Common.

A total of £83,348 was spent on the works, which is almost double the £46,000 it received from the Heritage Lottery Fund to replace the 150-year-old horse Chestnut Avenue trees.

The expenditure includes £21,377 spent on ‘security measures’ according to Wandsworth Labour, £9,100 on a 10ft metal wall, £8,003 on the park and events police and £4,274 on provision for private security staff and guard dogs.

The 64 new lime trees cost £5,824, however the planting of them with cages and their maintenance for the next 12 months cost £9,118.

Cllr Fleur Anderson, Wandsworth Labour Group’s speaker on community services, said: “I am shocked. The project cost almost twice what the council received in funding, meaning almost £40,000 of tax payers’ money has been spent replacing trees the community wanted to keep, as witnessed by the 6,500 people who signed the petition asking the council to rethink.

“The committee which voted on the proposals to cut down the trees were told the project would be funded by a grant, not by the tax payer.”

She added: “It has now been confirmed many of the trees were healthy. The cost of managing the trees that were diseased and did need to be cut down was far less than the extreme measures of cutting them all down.”

The figures were revealed to Paul Chadwick, chief executive of Richmond and Wandsworth Councils’ shared structure, after Cllr Candida Jones requested security costs for the work.

Mr Chadwick said it was anticipated the HLF’s funding would cover five of the costs, or £55,561, despite exceeding the amount by £9,561.

Use of additional security was said to be necessary due to ‘concerns around disruption’ after a consultation with the Metropolitan Police.

Cllr Jonathan Cook, Conservative cabinet member for community services, said: “Of the 51 chestnut trees removed all but seven were diseased or decaying, and several in key locations - including adjacent to the children’s playground - were in a much more dangerous state than previously thought.

“We have now done what the majority of residents, and their councillors, clearly felt was the best way forward, and a new avenue of 64 small leafed limes have been planted in place of the 51 chestnut trees for future generations to enjoy, just as our ancestors did for us.”

Mr Cook added that the decision was ‘nothing whatsoever’ to do with costs of maintenance, but about the safety of the trees and the long-term future of the avenue after it was presented to residents in a consultation last year.

A Wandsworth Council spokesperson said: "In terms of public safety it was vitally important to prevent people from accessing the site because trespassers could have ended up being hurt or seriously injured by moving machinery or the felling of the trees.

"Ensuring the site remained safe and secure was especially important in light of the threats from some protestors to disrupt the operation. We liaised very closely with the Met police and took their advice on site security in the light of these threats."