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? :(

Totally agree.

Yes I know what you mean.

There's a frightening air of nihilism about it.

It’s not just a walk either - it’s a walk up and down craggy narrow unlit paths, in the dark, in unpleasant weather.

Most 16 year olds would rather be at home on TickTock, or FIFA.

@NowWhattt
That would never happen anyway.. we’re too soft on criminals anyway in this country

I don’t understand where you get this idea from. What’s your evidence? Compared to most similar countries we are definitely not ‘soft’ in criminals, and we have grown ever harder in recent years.

I agree with you that criminals should be properly punished and hate reading about crimes where I think this hasn’t happened. But, why invent the idea that this country is more liberal than others. It just isn’t, at all.

Well I'm coming at it from the perspective that this 16 year old is from the area near Sycamore Gap. Therefore they will have grown up in an area where (a) using tools like chainsaws isn't unusual and (b) a 30 minute walk off the road isn't remote.

When my village was cut off by fallen trees after a storm last year, no-one waited for the council to sort it. (In fact, I don't think anyone even bothered to report it to the council/highways.) The farmers and postmen went out with chainsaws to chop the trees up and farm vehicles to clear the wood away. Road was clear by mid morning. If you live rurally, you don't see those skills as rare and unusual.

I wonder if he will be let out on bail, they usually are

Looking at the photos of the stump I can well believe a 16 year old did it on their own in the dark with a head torch. The notch cut (the one on the wall side) looks very shoddy. Nice clean felling cut though, I’d give it a 6/10 overall.

The meanness of taking something special from everyone for no apparent reason is surprisingly upsetting.

It does feel a bit end of days doesn’t it, when children are wantonly cutting down ancient trees for a laugh.

I’m so confused as to why people are upset about a tree?

Really?

A landowner shot a 16 year old with an unlicensed shotgun near us. The kid was not even trespassing - he was on the public road and shot over the wall in the back by the landowner who suspected him of having trespassed in the past.

Guess what the punishment was? 15 months suspended sentence.

For shooting a child with an unlicensed firearm.

THAT is precisely how soft we are on crime.

It's the wanton vandalism, if it had blown down, people would have been sad but it's a natural thing.

Wanton destruction, I wonder who put him up to it?

Little shitbag needs to be picking litter up from verges every weekend for the next two years.

They don't know know he did it, they've arrested him "in connection with", which could be assisting an offender or perverting the course of justice or a silky kid bragging that he did it when he had no connection, at this stage. Or are we not going to bother with a trial?

I can believe a 16yp in a rural community has access to a chain saw and the skills to use it for routine jobs, but felling a tree that size is a difficult and potentially dangerous job for a skilled tree surgeon.

Another over indulged teenage, probably did it to put on TikTok. He needs time in prison

Have you always suffered from lack of thinking?

@Frodofeeling I know that. I was responding specifically to another poster who seemed to think the police knew there was a 16 year old involved but didn't j is who it was. They were probably joking on reflection.
You're probably right that 16 yo had help, but I disagree it would not be possible for a 16 yo to do something like this along.

@Frodofeeling Most people who fell trees are not tree surgeons, they’re forestry workers and farm workers. It’s really not hard to fell a tree with a notch cut and any kid with a chainsaw license can do it. It’s not like he needed to setup the cut to avoid the tree landing on the neighbour’s greenhouse.

This thread just shows how out of touch many MNetters are. "Tick Tock" 🤣 really? The "wrap" on the knuckles, lock em up for life poster, and all of those who think 16 year olds are little angels with no skills. As for the suggestions it's an environmental group and trying to set them up, how on earth would that make sense?!

Obviously never grown up on a farm in Cumbria!

@Kissmas I'm not sure a blanket description of 'out of touch' is accurate. I grew up in the country and raised family in the city, they have zero idea about the country, it can be a completely different world. They're not out of touch about much else though.

I wonder if it's because it's a sycamore, a non native and invasive species?

We had a large one at the bottom of the garden. When I went to get a neighbour's response to the fact we were thinking of having it removed, she hugged me.

I know the area well - am from a few miles up the road in Hexham. There is not much for miles except a pub and youth hostel at Once Brewed about a mile away (and the terrain is very hilly so sound can be dampened) so I'm not surprised it wasn't heard.

It's just utterly bizarre - pissed teenagers with a chainsaw?

Such a beautiful tree.

Do you need a licence, we have a chainsaw for our large garden and haven't got one, we live in town though.