Two more people have been arrested over the deliberate felling of the Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland.
Northumbria police said two men, both in their 30s, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Tuesday. They have since been released on bail as inquiries continue, the force said. A 16-year-old boy and a man in his 60s who had already been arrested in connection with the incident remain on bail.
The sycamore, which stood in a dramatic dip on Hadrian’s Wall, was cut down in September in what police believe was a deliberate act of vandalism.
DCI Rebecca Fenney-Menzies of Northumbria police said: “The loss of Sycamore Gap has been felt deeply across the community as well as further afield. As a force, we have seen many touching tributes from those who have detailed what this iconic landmark meant for them personally and for our region.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to identify anyone responsible and bring them into police custody, and we are committed to getting justice.
“I hope this recent wave of arrests demonstrates just how much work has been undertaken by our dedicated specialist teams in what has, so far, been a very difficult and complex investigation.”
The 50ft tree was looked after by the Northumberland national park authority and the National Trust. It was one of the UK’s most photographed trees and was made famous by a scene in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
The tree has been removed from the site by a crane and is being kept at a storage facility by the National Trust.
2023-11-01 08:30:13
Post from www.theguardian.com
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