THE boss of an agricultural company who let his staff chop down more than 200 trees without a licence has been fined £10,000.

Thomas Brothers Nash Ltd in Newport spent two and half weeks clearing 1.2 acres of land likened to a "small forest" last November.

The company, registered in Gold Tops, worked for a property developer who instructed them to clear the land in Caerwent, Newport Magistrates' Court heard last Friday.

But the property developer, Paul Bailey, did not have planning permission to redevelop the site off the A48, the court heard.

Thomas Brothers Nash director Paul Thomas pleaded guilty to felling 207 growing trees some time before November 28, on Friday.

The agricultural company stood to receive £16,500 for the work but has only been paid £10,000, it was said.

Bailey, of Shirenewton Hall, Cas-Gwent, Shirenewton, was not in court, but he is to be sentenced later this month with the matter having been proven in his absence, the court was told.

The court heard that people are allowed to fell trees without a licence providing the timber amounts to around 5 cubic metres.

But the amount felled in the woodland area off the A48 was 109 cubic metres.

District Judge Martin Brown told Thomas: "The company you run is well versed in matters agricultural such as these.

"Clearing over 200 trees is a very serious act indeed.

"It was a very foolish thing for you to do.

"The harm is substantial."

Judge Brown likened the cleared area to a "small forest or small woodland".

Mohammed Yakub, prosecuting on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, said: "This woodland has now gone.

"It would take many years to grow."

Defence solicitor Steven Mock said his client had wrongly assumed Bailey had planning permission for the development.

He said Thomas had been "reckless" by not checking whether this was the case, but stressed he now had systems in place to ensure this did not occur again.

Mr Mock added his client had pleaded guilty to the offence at the first opportunity and had a clean record.

Judge Brown also ordered Thomas to pay £2,044 costs and a £120 surcharge.

Bailey is to be sentenced on August 17, it was said.

A spokesman from Natural Resources Wales said: “We welcome the sentence today, which will hopefully act as a deterrent to others felling trees illegally without a licence.”