Two men in court over Sycamore Gap tree felling

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Two men will appear in court charged with causing criminal damage after the felling of the famous Sycamore Gap tree.

Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, will face Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon.

The much-photographed tree, which stood next to Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland for 200 years, was chopped down in September last year, causing a national outrage.

Last month the Crown Prosecution Service announced the two men, from the Carlisle area, were being charged.

They face charges of criminal damage to the tree and to the wall, which is a World Heritage Site.

Northumbria Police made a number of arrests after the tree was felled overnight on September 27 to 28.

A teenager and a man in his 60s were later told they will face no further action.

The National Trust, which owns the land on which the tree stood, hopes the sycamore will live on after scientists found that salvaged seeds and cuttings are showing signs of being viable for new growth.