UK Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism' - 16 year old arrested

Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'
Reuters (archive.ph)
By Reuters Staff
2023-09-29T06:04:51GMT


General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith

LONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism".

Police said they had arrested a 16-year old male in connection with the felling of the statuesque sycamore in northern England, which is set in a natural dip in the otherwise treeless, sweeping landscape alongside Hadrian's Wall.

It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".

Photographs showed the tree, estimated to be hundreds of years old and voted "English Tree of the Year" in 2016, lying on its side across the wall next to a freshly-cut stump.

"This is a world-renowned landmark and the events of today have caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond," said Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police.

"An investigation was immediately launched following this vandalism, and this afternoon we have arrested one suspect in connection with our enquiries."

The National Trust, who look after the site alongside Northumberland National Park, said it was "shocked and desperately saddened", while local lawmaker Guy Opperman said everyone was "bereft".

"This is criminal damage and an attack on one of the nation's most famous trees," Opperman said on social media.


Sycamore Gap is pictured at sunset, near Henshaw, Northumberland, Britain February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo

General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith

General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith

Police stand near the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith

 

[Otterly]

Little fucker. Beat him to death with the twigs. It’s such a nice walk along that section, and the tree was beautiful. People are up in arms about this.

 

[Jet Fuel Johnny]

Place your bets:

• African "migrant"
• Muslim "youth"
• Hispanic Tree Killer
• Amish Wood Destroyer
• Null's Penis
• Chav Dipshit
• Irishman Trying to Score Weed
• Scottsman Looking for Sheep

 

[W00K #17]

FAGGOT

 

[Weeb Slinger]

Some people are asking the not unreasonable question - How did a 16 year old boy and his faithful chainsaw make it up to Sycamore Gap in the dead of night? There's not a lot out that way. Did he walk?

Looking at the white paint around the trunk and the cleanness of the cut, if the boy is responsible, he's got to be a farmer's son; someone who has felled timber before.

 

[Carpe Jugulum]

Little fucker. Beat him to death with the twigs. It’s such a nice walk along that section, and the tree was beautiful. People are up in arms about this.

Hanging the scrote from a tree would be an acceptable punishment.

It’s also that time of year where the feral kids start setting bales etc on fire. A local farmer lost 200 bales last year.

So many don’t have respect for anything these days. Needs to be more consequences for being a scrote besides a telling off.

 

[Breadbassket]

It's so over.

 

[murph]

I'm just so happy that the news reported a crime by a white person. You never see that.

This is just like the looters in Philly except it's one person destroying a tree in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

We can only hope someone has enough sense to plant another sycamore there. At least there might be something left.

 

[FinnSven]

Place your bets:

• African "migrant"
• Muslim "youth"
• Hispanic Tree Killer
• Amish Wood Destroyer
• Null's Penis
• Chav Dipshit
• Irishman Trying to Score Weed
• Scotsman Looking for Buckfast
• Welshman Scouting for Sheep

Fixed for you.

 

[Toolbox]

We can only hope someone has enough sense to plant another sycamore there. At least there might be something left.

I don't know how the biology of a tree that old and of it's species entirely works, but I've seen trees come back from a fungal infestation that required them severed at the base begin to grow back right from the center of the stump - with how healthy this tree still looked, especially at the interior regrowth could be possible. Maybe. It's going to be forever until it would actually resemble at all what came before regardless.

 

[keytar]

I don't know how the biology of a tree that old and of it's species entirely works, but I've seen trees come back from a fungal infestation that required them severed at the base begin to grow back right from the center of the stump - with how healthy this tree still looked, especially at the interior regrowth could be possible. Maybe. It's going to be forever until it would actually resemble at all what came before regardless.

Sycamores are pretty indestructible and grow back readily from stumps. The tree is quite old but it looked healthy as you say so it may well regrow if the stump gets left. Hopefully it gets the chance.

Also:

Hanging the scrote from a tree would be an acceptable punishment.

They make good hanging trees. Nice strong branches.

 

[East_Clintwood]

I don't know how the biology of a tree that old and of it's species entirely works, but I've seen trees come back from a fungal infestation that required them severed at the base begin to grow back right from the center of the stump - with how healthy this tree still looked, especially at the interior regrowth could be possible. Maybe. It's going to be forever until it would actually resemble at all what came before regardless.

Sycamores are pretty indestructible and grow back readily from stumps. The tree is quite old but it looked healthy as you say so it may well regrow if the stump gets left. Hopefully it gets the chance.

Also:

They make good hanging trees. Nice strong branches.

The National Trust think it's possible they could regrow something from the stump: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-66957589

Mr Poad said: "It's a very healthy tree, we can see that now, because of the condition of the stump, it may well regrow a coppice from the stump, and if we could nurture that then that might be one of the best outcomes, and then we keep the tree."

 

[FinnSven]

Place your bets:

• African "migrant"
• Muslim "youth"
• Hispanic Tree Killer
• Amish Wood Destroyer
• Null's Penis
• Chav Dipshit
• Irishman Trying to Score Weed
• Scottsman Looking for Sheep

Oh furthermore I forgot some!

• Geordie thought the tree was looking at him
• Scouser Twocing Cars
• Yam-Yam Yourlright, Yam
• Hartleypooler Hanging A Very Heavy Monkey
• Smoggie offended by nature
• Cornish Mining For a Spriggan

Ok I think I am done now.

They make good hanging trees. Nice strong branches.

I swear I half remember that a nursery rhyme involving a sycamore tree was originally a reference to that?

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

If "a society grows great when men plant trees whose shade they will never sit under"

What of a society that cuts down trees for no reason other than boredom and ill-intent?

 

[Iron Jaguar]

Hartleypooler Hanging A Very Heavy Monkey

A fairly obscure joke to non-English, but funny.

 

[FinnSven]

A fairly obscure joke to non-English, but funny.

I chatted up a Hartlepool lass once, she was actually impressed that I had heard of the Monkey Hanger thing, despite being a Soft Londoner Southern Pansy.
Her and her friends had a lot of giggling and cheering about it.

 

[ddlloo]

There's some fabulous pictures of that tree, there's a reason it's occasionally called iconic. Pretty sad and senseless that this happened, there can't possibly be a reasonable motive for it. Can only assume some angsty teen took his anger out on the tree for some roundabout reason. Maybe daddy dearest cared more about the tree than the kid, maybe grandpa wouldn't shut up about mentioning how famous it is, maybe he just hated living in the area and decided to desecrate something that represents it.

Pathetic act no matter the reason.

 

[World Famous Quasi Payer]

To think the british countryside was Tolkien's inspiration for the shire and the simple folk of the land for hobbits; and how all that is increasingly being ruined in the name of diversity.

 

[Agamemnon Busmalis]

Should make him live in a hut on that spot and take care of the new seedling for the rest of his life.