Two men charged over felling of Sycamore Gap tree

Police have charged two men in their 30s over the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree last September.

Daniel Michael Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, both from Cumbria, have been charged with criminal damage to the tree and to a neighbouring part of Hadrian’s Wall, which was affected when the tree fell.

They are due to appear at Newcastle magistrates court on 15 May.

The men were arrested in October in connection with the incident and had been on bail since that date, police said.

Det Ch Insp Rebecca Fenney, the senior investigation officer in the case, said: “There has been an ongoing investigation since the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down.

“As a result of those inquiries, two men have now been charged.

“We recognise the strength of feeling in the local community and further afield the felling has caused, however we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could impact the ongoing case.”

Residents awoke on 28 September last year to find the iconic tree had been felled overnight.

The tree, which was at least 200 years old, appeared to have been sawed at the base of the trunk with a chainsaw, having previously stood in a small picturesque valley in Northumberland national park in the north of England.

The world-famous tree, voted English tree of the year in a Woodland Trust competition in 2016 and featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, was mourned by locals and people all over the globe.

A candlelit vigil was organised and visitors flocked to the site to say goodbye to the landmark and the National Trust said it had been “amazed and inspired” by offers of help and good wishes from the public.

The organisation collected seeds and cuttings, some of which it was able to propagate.