Dark Knight bosses donate thousands to replant chopped trees

Movie bosses behind the latest Batman film The Dark Knight Rises have donated thousands of dollars to replant trees in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after the original greenery was chopped down to make way for the shoot.

The latest installment of the Caped Crusader franchise, starring Christian Bale and Anne Hathaway, has taken over huge areas of the city for high-octane action sequences and car chases.

The tree-lined streets didn't fit in with director Christopher Nolan's wintery vision for the film, and studio bosses chopped down the oaks, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - but they're planning to replant once the shoot is over.

Location manager Ilt Jones tells the newspaper, "We're committed to putting back everything as we found it in Pittsburgh, if not better. We hope to remove all traces of fake snow, and we're replacing far more trees than we removed, in conjunction with the appropriate city agencies."

Producers have also handed over $20,000 to non-profit group Tree Pittsburgh to ensure replacements are planted.