A councillor has expressed fury after up to eight oak trees were cut down on the A149.
The trees were on land belonging to Norfolk County Council near the Caister bypass roundabout.
A spokesperson for the county council said the work was not undertaken by the council, and it is unknown who cut the trees down.
As a result, County Hall staff will need to undertake remedial work to re-cut the stumps, remove leftover branches and stem wood - a job which will "require extensive traffic management".
It is planned to then replace the trees.
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Councillor Penny Carpenter, who represents Caister at the county council, said: "It is an absolutely despicable act of wanton destruction. I was absolutely livid when I found out.
"I don't understand the mentality that they can just come along and chop those trees down.
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"It's the brazenness of people to think this is acceptable behaviour. It clearly isn't. It beggars belief.
"I just hope the trees are recoverable," she added.
The council said that remedial works should be finished by the end of the year, in coordination with other such works in the area and subject to weather conditions.
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