Residents living near Oxhey Woods say unnecessary, botched and over zealous council maintenance work has brought devastation to the historic beauty spot.

Three Rivers District Council, which owns the 250 acre site, is working to remove all Rhododendron shrubs from the woods – an action it says will benefit trees and plant life.

Furious walkers, however, claim the work is both damaging and unnecessary.

They say heavy handed contractors – using mechanical diggers – have achieved little save for the “desecration” of hundreds of years of history.

Liz Hamilton-Smith, who has enjoyed the woods with her family for more than 27 years, is pleading for the work to stop.

She told the Watford Observer that it has so badly affected the water table that many previously pristine footpaths are now more akin to a muddy battle-field She said: “The level of damage is appalling. Nobody is saying that control of the Rhododendrons is not necessary but this level of destruction is unacceptable.

“People have enjoyed these plants for more than 100 years – we can’t understand why they [the council] want to eradicate them. They have desecrated the woods.”

Mrs Hamilton-Smith, who lives in South View Road, added: “Many footpaths are nearly impassable, particularly to older people.

“The diggers have caused such heavy ruts that it’s dangerous for some people to walk through. This damage will take years to years to repair.”

Rose Lukic, another former woodland walker, added: “It’s so bad in there at the moment that I’ve stopped going in. I’ve got back problems so walking over the mud is very difficult for me. It’s a real mess and such a shame – they’ve wrecked the place.”

The council will spend around £25,000 on the project, half of which will be met by the Forestry Commission.

Council officers say the work is necessary to maintain effective biodiversity and to encourage other plants to flourish.

Many residents, however, claim the money would be better spent attending to more pressing needs – not least the removal of fly-tipped rubbish and burned out vehicles.

Graham Butler, of Sandy Lane, another regular walker through the woods, added: “As a taxpayer I would far rather they left the woods alone.

“Instead of wasting time and taxpayer’s money during a recession the council should be clearing the burnt out motor bikes which have been there for more than a year and the piles of fly-tipped rubbish.”