Headfry
My allotment has a hedge running down one side, this backs on to the road and the council came along around this time last year and like yours, all the berries etc went, leaving a horrible mess, torn and ripped branches etc.
I wrote to the allotment officer and complained and also explained that the flail they use comes so far on to the inside it damaged hawthorns I'd planted to thicken the hedge.
So far on the Spring cut they left the inside, understand they have to do the road side of the hedge, so fingers crossed this autumn the berries will stay put and they'll once again leave the inside hedge to grow.
The only good thing was the savaging of the hedge made the brambles grow like crazy and I've already got 4lb of free blackberries from them.
Sue