Fury as vandals sabotage iconic sycamore tree in 'revenge' attack following right to roam row on private beach By Cameron Roy Published: 22:53 BST, 30 September 2024 | Updated: 22:57 BST, 30 September 2024 e-mail View comments The owner of an iconic sycamore tree is furious after vandals sawed through his beloved greenery following a dispute over the right to roam on the private beach it stood on. The elderly tree's tropical-like setting at the remote privately owned cove near Weymouth, Dorset, made it popular with visitors looking for the perfect photo spot. But its owners returned from a 10-day holiday last week to find a mystery saboteur had fatally wounded their greenery by severing it with a saw.
Although it was still standing the specimen was condemned by a tree surgeon and had to be cut down for safety reasons. The owner of the land David Askew believes it was attacked in connection with a long-running dispute he has been having with the council surrounding an access footpath on his land which connects to the beach. The elderly tree's tropical-like setting at the remote privately owned cove near Weymouth, Dorset, made it popular with visitors looking for the perfect photo spot But its owners returned from a 10-day holiday last week to find a mystery saboteur had fatally wounded their beloved tree by severing it with a saw Although it was still standing the specimen was condemned by a tree surgeon and had to be cut down for safety reasons The owner of the land David Ask.