‘Outraged’ Enfield Council leader seeking legal advice over Toby Carvery tree felling
Enfield Council’s leader has said he is “outraged” Toby Carvery gave approval for the felling of an ancient tree without consulting them first.
The oak – thought to be about 400 years old – had its branches cut off after the chain said specialists had advised the tree, on the border of a restaurant car park, was a “potential health and safety risk”.
Council boss Ergin Erbil said Enfield’s own team of experts had checked the tree in December and found it was “healthy and posed no risk to the neighbouring car park and its users”.
“I am outraged that the leaseholder has cut down this beautiful ancient oak tree without seeking any permissions or advice from Enfield Council,” he said in a statement.
“We have evidence that this tree was alive and starting to grow new spring leaves when this action was taken.
The tree before it was cut down. Pic: Woodland Trust
“As the land owner, we believe this action has broken the terms of the lease, which requires Toby Carvery to maintain and protect the existing landscape.
“The tree was the oldest one on site, and cutting it down seems to be a clear breach of this condition.”
He added that the council was “seeking advice” and would take “appropriate legal action”.
The owner of Toby Carvery, Mitchells & Butlers, called the work “an important action to protect our employees and guests as well as the wider general public”.
“We took necessary measures to ensure any legal requirements were met,” it said.
Many locals are angry at the decision to cut back the tree, but police have found no evidence of criminality and are treating it as a civil matter.
Pic: PA
The tree – now reduced to a large stump – was found surrounded by severed branches in Whitewebbs Park on 3 April.
It has a girth of 6.1m and was thought to be in the top 100 of London’s 600,000 oak trees in terms of size.
Read more from Sky News:
Tommy Robinson loses appeal
Bodycam footage of Hackman’s home released
Images on social media showed the work being done
Ed Pyne, Woodland Trust senior conservation adviser for trees, called it the “most shocking fell I think I’ve ever seen in more than a decade working with ancient trees”.
The council said it’s getting advice and “will take appropriate legal action” as it believes the company broke a lease requiring it to maintain and protect the landscape.
Mr Erbil said the oak was home to “countless wildlife, fungi, and pollinators” but promised to do everything to help it regrow.
Paedophile Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.
Watkins, 48, was serving a 29-year jail term for multiple sexual offences, including serious crimes against young children and babies at HMP Wakefield, in West Yorkshire.
He was attacked with a knife by another inmate on Saturday morning, sources have confirmed.
West Yorkshire Police said two men, aged 25 and 43, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A police van outside Wakefield prison. Pic: YappApp
Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene after prison staff reported the assault to police.
The prison went into lockdown in the immediate aftermath of the incident, sources added.
A Prison Service spokesperson said they could not comment while the police investigate.
Watkins was previously stabbed in an incident at the same prison in 2023, suffering non life-threatening injuries after he was reportedly taken hostage by three other inmates before being freed by prison officers six hours later.
He was sentenced in December 2013 to 29 years in prison, with a further six years on licence, after admitting 13 sex offences, including the attempted rape of a fan’s baby.
Watkins performing in 2004. Pic: PA
Read more from Sky News:
Nova festival survivor dies two years after girlfriend killed
Police try to keep protesters apart at Gaza war demo
He also encouraged a second fan to abuse her child during a webcam chat and secretly stashed child sexual abuse videos, some of which he had made himself.
At the time, police described him as a “committed, organised paedophile”.
Having found fame in Welsh rock band Lostprophets, Watkins was arrested after his Pontypridd home was searched on orders of a drug warrant in September 2012.
A large number of computers, mobile phones and storage devices were seized during the search.
When sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court, the singer was told he was being given an extended sentence – and a judge said his crimes “plumbed new depths of depravity”.
After being caught with a mobile phone behind bars in 2019, he told a court that he was locked up with “murderers, mass murderers, rapists, paedophiles, serial killers – the worst of the worst”.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024