Following a visit on March 20, a new report by the independent Arboricultural Advisory and Information Service (AAIS) concluded that only 12 should be felled. The others should be saved, it said.

The report was delivered to councillors on Sunday evening, just 24 hours before a meeting of the full council. In a close vote on Monday, councillors decided not to consider the AAIS findings and to press ahead instead with plans to cut down all the trees on safety grounds.

Chairman of the highways and transportation committee, Councillor Mick Jewitt, said: "There is nothing new in the report."

Others argued the committee should look at it, including former Croydon Mayor, Councillor Jim Walker, and Tory deputy leader, Councillor Andrew Pelling.

Responding after the meeting, tree campaigner Sheila Lovell said: "We haven't been given justice in this. Perhaps they have had insufficient time to consider the report and now we would hope they would give it a second look. It's absolutely new with detailed information on each and every tree."