a 16-year-old teenager taken into police custody after cutting down a century-old tree, symbol of the country

The UK mourns an iconic tree. A nearly 200-year-old maple tree located in the north-east of England, close to Hadrian’s Wall, has been cut down with a chainsaw by a vandal. It was undoubtedly the most famous tree in the country.

>> Biodiversity: scientists warn of the loss of entire branches of the “tree of life”

Majestic, placed between two hills, it was photographed all year round, naked under the snow, leafy with a beautiful blue sky or in magnificent sunsets. It had become a meeting place for hikers and it even had a name: “Sycamore gap tree”. It even became an international star in 1991 when it served as the setting for a scene with Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman in Robin Hood. In 2016, it was voted tree of the year.

“You killed a time sentinel”

It was the police director who found him lying on the ground. “Shock, sadness and anger“: this is how he sums up his state of mind at the time of his discovery.

Immediately, social networks were flooded with photos and testimonies. “I hope whoever did this has a conscience because you killed a time sentry and a spirit element of the regionreacts an Internet user. I wonder if you’re feeling okay. Whatever twisted reason you did this, it’s shocking.”

The investigation quickly led to the identification of a 16-year-old young man. He was arrested and taken into police custody. The police assure that he is collaborating with the investigation.