Young Silk on the case to defend old hedgerow: James Cusick watches a nine-year-old's polished public performance

JAMES HENRY SILK, not yet QC, stretched to his full 3ft 11in yesterday to take on the legal might of an Oxford college. Young master Silk, aged nine, became the youngest person to address a public planning inquiry when he spoke in favour of retaining a 1,000-year-old hedgerow that Wolfson College wants to remove to create a new cricket field.

Lawyers, planners and government and college officials faced Master Silk as he rose to speak in Oxford's town hall. Although dressed in his blue school blazer, some thought a barrister's wig and gown would not have been out of place. A year ago he had studied the 360ft long, 25ft high, Wolfson hedgerow near his home, as a school project. He told the inquiry of his painstaking research aided by binoculars and carefully kept notebooks detailing the birds and wildlife in the hedge which dates back to Anglo- Saxon times. 'I think the hedge is still very beautiful and interesting. It should survive for another 1,000 years,' he said.

Top barristers keep their best for the end and Master Silk clearly knew his stuff. 'I love cricket,' he said. 'But I love the hedge more. I respectfully ask you to dismiss this appeal.'

William Hicks, counsel for Wolfson, had, sensibly, no questions for Master Silk. Mrs Maureen Taylor, the planning inspector, had a few. What were his reference sources? 'Oxford Children's Enclopaedia, volume three, section, hedgerows,' said the learned junior.

With father Donald, a solicitor, and mother, Hilary, a barrister, looked on proudly, the Dragon School pupil agreed to a request that the inquiry be allowed to study his notebooks overnight. Outside the heat of the chamber, Master Silk said diplomatically: 'It went very well.'

Wolfson was appealing against Oxford City Council's refusal to lift a tree preservation order on willows on the edge of the hedgrerow. A decision is expected within three months.

(Photograph omitted)