Sycamore Gap: Boy, 16, arrested Iconic tree at Hadrian’s Wall ‘deliberately felled’
A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after one of the most photographed trees in the country was cut down.
The tree at Sycamore Gap, next to Hadrian’s Wall, was made famous when it appeared in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.
The 16-year-old boy is being held in police custody and is said to be assisting officers with their enquiries.
Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a world-renowned landmark and the events of today have caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond.
“Given our investigation remains at a very early stage, we are keeping an open mind.
“I am appealing to the public for information to assist us – if you have seen or heard anything suspicious that may be of interest to us, please let us know.”
The Northumberland national park authority said: “[We] can confirm that sadly, the famous tree at Sycamore Gap has come down overnight.
“We are working with the relevant agencies and partners with an interest in this iconic North East landmark and will issue more details once they are known.”
The public has been asked not to visit the site, near Crag Lough, “whilst we work with our partners to identify what has happened and to make the site safe”.
The National Trust, which owns the land, said it was “shocked and saddened” over the felling of the tree, which was voted English Tree of the Year in 2016 in the Woodland Trust’s awards.
Andrew Poad, the trust’s general manager for Hadrian’s Wall and Tyne Valley, said: “The tree has been an important and iconic feature in the landscape for nearly 200 years and means a lot to the local community and to anyone who has visited the site.”
The tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall is one of the most photographed trees in the UK
Brendon Hayward proposed to his wife Sinead in January 2019 beneath the tree.
The couple, who live in the area, married in September 2021 and have a 15-month-old son, and another baby on the way.
“The tree was precious to me because I’d hoped we could revisit it as a family as our children got older,” he told Sky News.
“I chose the place to propose because the tree would grow with time and hopefully be there in 50 or 100 years. I’m gutted.”
Brendon Hayward proposed under the Sycamore Gap in 2021
People on social media expressed their sadness and anger over the incident, with many calling it “horrific” or “sickening”.
The tree stood in a dip in Hadrian’s Wall, with the Roman Milecastle 39 just to its left, and is looked after by both Northumberland national park and the National Trust.
Photographer Steven Lomas wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I can’t even begin to describe how sad I am that the most beautiful and famous tree in England, Sycamore Gap, has either been cut down or blew down.
“I am pretty devastated that the place I love most in Northumberland is essentially no more.”
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Google Maps has already renamed the location Sycamore Stump
Police and crime commissioner for Northumberia, Kim McGuinness, said: “I’m devastated that the famous Sycamore is gone. That tree was ours. An iconic North East landmark.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Liverpool have won the Premier League title after a 5-1 victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s men did it in impressive style, turning over Spurs in a convincing win.
It was a rocky start for the Reds after Dominic Solanke put the north London side ahead.
However, fortunes quickly changed in the first half as Liverpool scored three times without a response.
Captain Virgil van Dijk (centre) celebrates. Pic: Reuters
Salah on his knees in celebration after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott (below) and Jarell Quansah celebrate after full-time. Pic: PA
Slot cheers after the full-time whistle. Pic: AP
In the second half, it took until the 63rd minute for Mohamed Salah to make it 4-1 before a fifth followed.
The Reds have won the title in manager Arne Slot’s first season in charge, and move level with fierce rivals Manchester United on 20 league championships.
But it makes them arguably the most successful English club ever as they have won more European Cup or Champions League titles.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports after the final whistle: “It’s special and it’s something that we don’t take for granted. It’s amazing.
“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we (are) truly deserved champions of England. (Liverpool is) the most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this. Let’s enjoy the next couple of weeks and let it sink in.”
Liverpool’s Kostas Tsimikas poses with a Premier League trophy cut out. Pic: Reuters
Manager Arne Slot and his team after the final whistle. Pic: AP
Slot took over last summer from Jurgen Klopp, who guided them to their previous and maiden Premier League title triumph in 2020, when the COVID-19 lockdown saw matches played behind closed doors.
He is the first Dutch manager to win the Premier League and the fifth man to do so in a debut campaign after Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, and Antonio Conte.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “They [the players] did an outstanding job today. The main job was to win. Everyone said we had got it already. But we had to make sure and we got over the line.”
Several players, including Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah, played leading roles in both the 2025 and 2020 campaigns.
Van Dijk and Salah recently signed new contracts extending their careers at the club.
Mohamed Salah takes a selfie with fans after scouring the fourth Liverpool goal. Pic: AP
Fans at Anfield during the game. Pic: AP
Fans in the stands at Anfield before full-time. Pic: Reuters
Liverpool will have to wait until the final game of the season – at home to Crystal Palace on 25 May – to be presented with the Premier League trophy.
It will be the first time the club’s fans will have seen their side lift the top-flight title in person since 1990.
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Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
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