A video uploaded this morning of trees being shorn in the heart of Xlendi has generated great online furore among locals, with social media users demanding an explanation for what is being deemed as unnecessary butchering.

But while tree pruning is a common maintenance procedure to strengthen trees, and we wanted to believe that this was nothing short of routine, we were saddened to note that this is not the case today.

Watch the video here.

When contacted, a representative of the Munxar Local Council explained that this was all part of a Government masterplan to increase parking spaces in Xlendi. When asked about the trees themselves, he assured that a number of them would be shifted to other locations, but no further information was given.

What do you think about the Xlendi trees?