Dead, diseased and decaying trees in council maintained woodland are so neglected they pose a risk to public safety, residents have warned.

Dozens of rotten trees and branches in the Carpenter's Wood have crashed to the ground in recent months, damaging property and even killing a beloved family pet.

Concerned home owners and walkers are urging Three Rivers District Council, which is responsible for the upkeep of the ancient woodland, to act before someone is killed or seriously injured.

In January a large tree fell without warning and killed a family dog as it walked with its horrified owners. In March 2004 another large tree collapsed during high winds and crushed a garden shed.

Barbara Christie, who has lived in Carpenter's Wood Drive for more than 30 years, is lobbying the council to improve the management of its woodland before some areas become unmanageable.

But after years of correspondence she claims they have taken little or no notice. She is now calling for the responsibility for woodland upkeep to be passed to a third party.

She said: "Many residents are concerned about these trees coming down and destroying their properties.

"Since the council has maintained the woods they have got into a shocking state.

"They say they are spending money on them but it doesn't look like it to me.

"I walk my dog through the wood every day but it's getting to the point where it is not safe on windy days. The council has got so much money sloshing around but won't spend even part of it to fix this problem."

Other incidents of concern have seen trees, or pieces of trees, falling near to footpaths or private property - particularly on one footpath which runs parallel to the rear of properties on Whitelands Avenue.

Three Rivers District Council said it was happy with the condition of all their wooded areas, adding that maintenance plans met all national standards.

The council currently administers more than 240 hectares of woodland across 18 sites in partnership with the county council's countryside management agency.

It says plans are in place for ten years of improvements to woodland sites.

Spokesman Kevin Snow said: "In order to enhance woodland biodiversity it is necessary for us to retain an amount of deadwood within the woodland and that a proportion of this should be standing deadwood. This is important to sustain healthy insect populations and also to provide an important habitat for woodpeckers.

"This is standard practice and was recognised as part of our UK Woodland Assurance Standard accreditation."

County and district councillor Leonard Spencer, however, is demanding that immediate action be taken to remove rotten and damaged trees.

He said : "The council is on notice that there are dangerous trees in the area. God forbid but if somebody were killed we'd be on a charge of corporate manslaughter."