The sycamore chopped down at Hadrian's wall

[Hungrycaterpillarsmummy]

What a fucking horrible thing to do.
It must've taken a lot of effort to cut that tree down, and for what? To do something horrible for the sake of doing something horrible?

Why why why cut down a 200yr old tree? :(

But - just why would anyone do this? It's no way an environmental group, they wouldn't cut down a tree. Or a 16 year old acting alone. It wasn't in someone's way or view or stopping a development. Such a shame.

Anti-social little freak should be locked up for life.

I thought the same @Hungrycaterpillarsmummy.

Other than being incredibly sad it's just utterly bizarre that anyone would do this.
My first thoughts was some kind of revenge attack to do with a landownership, right of way dispute? Or a weird symbolic act by protesters. The image of the tree cut down is so shocking. But just stop oil etc don't usually do thing that cause lasting damage do they? ...it doesn't fit.

I don't think anyone should be locked up for life over cutting down a tree, no matter how malicious.

@TheUsualChaos it is just so strange.

I wasn’t expecting too but I felt a bit sad when I saw the pictures. I think mostly because it’s such a strange thing to do, and so permanent. Trees are cut down all the time - but for a purpose. And not ones that have become tourist attractions.

i wonder if we’ll ever find out why they (because it won’t just be a teenage boy) did it.

Its not. It's a stupid kid

I agree. The 16 year old was involved but he didn't do it by himself. I live locally and we have our suspicions - there's a well known grump around here who has a problem with tourists

What’s your suggestion for punishment then??

A wrap on the knuckles .. “ don’t do it again”.

🙄

It's not remote if you live here. It's a farming community where teenagers have access and experience with tools as well as quad bikes.

Not their style - they stay and get arrested. They want publicity for their acts of civil disobedience.

Some people seem to want to blame Just Stop Oil/environmentalists for everything!

There's a lot of middle ground between 'rap on the knuckles' and 'locked up for life'

Obviously locking someone up for life for criminal damage would be ridiculous.

I'm appalled about the tree but I haven't lost my rational mind!

It wouldn’t make sense for environmentalists to cut down a 200 year old tree as a stunt. Undermines their message. Not sure why people are suggesting that.

This happened in our town. No explanation. Totally weird.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp353xpprjvo

It's like this on a grander scale.

V sad about it. There's nothing people won't do anymore.

Because there are no punishments in between a rap on the knuckles and life imprisonment? 🙄

That would never happen anyway.. we’re too soft on criminals anyway in this country but in my opinion a deserving punishment would be appropriate.

Statements that he should be locked up for life are almost as weird as the act itself.

I grew up in farming community and I find it very easy to believe that a 16 year old expertly cut that tree down.

Of course a deserved sentence would be appropriate!

But 'locked up for life' would not be appropriate for obvious reasons.

Tbf, if anyone locally heard a chainsaw, they wouldn’t immediately think, ‘Oh, someone must be cutting down the sycamore.’

I read that someone damaged it so badly that they had to bring in experts to cut it down. That's why the cut is so clean.

Yep I agree.

There are plenty of 16 year olds who know how to use a chainsaw. I’m guessing you don’t live in the country?

Whoever did it is a dick and there's a lot of them around. I can't understand why someone would want to do it though.

@Shraree funnily enough, some of my colleagues live up that way, and one of them said similar...