Sycamore Gap tree latest: Man in 60s released on bail after police find chainsaw

Police have released an arrested man, in his 60s, on bail after the Sycamore Gap tree was felled.

Northumbria Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Friday and was released on bail pending further inquiries.

A relative posted a picture of the lumberjack at home with his grandson as they denied his involvement in the felling.

The force said the investigation remains ongoing.

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “A male in his 60s was arrested in connection with the incident. He has since been released on police bail, pending further enquiries.”

A boy, 16, who was also arrested on suspicion of criminal damage on Thursday was later released on bail.

The family of a now bailed lumberjack accused of chopping the Sycamore Gap tree down have strongly refuted it was him as he has two heart valves.

Walter Renwick, 69, who was arrested in connection with criminal damage after the tree was bailed has been bailed and declared his innocence as he returned home to a farm where police found a large chainsaw.

When he was in custody, his daughter-in-law Lauren said he was there for something he ‘hasn’t even done’.

“He’s got two leaking heart valves. He’s never fit enough to get up there,” she told the Times. “He’s down here living like f***ing Bear Grylls.”

He was seen by reporters returning to his stone property that he was evicted from in recent weeks.

Reality queen Gemma Collins has said she has been mourning the loss of Sycamore Gap all weekend, in a heartbreaking Instagram post.

The GC wrote: “Today my post is for the SYCAMORE GAP. I was extremely shocked and saddened all weekend to think this tree was destroyed in a senseless act …. I thought about the tree all weekend and was very upset.

“If we do not respect nature now we will suffer in years to come.”

A man who planted a sapling where the Sycamore Gap tree was cut down to “give people hope” has spoken of his devastation after it was removed by the National Trust.

The National Trust dug up the young tree brought by 27-year-old Kieran Chapman from a local garden centre and planted metres away from the tragic stump.

Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle, he said he planted the tree to “restore people’s faith in humanity, bring a smile back to people’s faces and just give them a bit of hope.”

A National Trust spokesperson said moved to deter other would-be planters. They said: “We understand the strength of feeling following the events at Sycamore Gap this week – and are grateful for the many offers of support and good wishes we’ve received from near and far. It’s important for everyone to remember that the site is a scheduled ancient monument and a globally important archaeological setting, with Unesco world heritage designation, and that altering or adding to it can damage the archaeology, and is unlawful without prior consent from government.”

Fundraisers have raised £4,220 to help restore and rejuvenate the area where the Sycamore Gap stood.

“Minutes to cut down and centuries to grow back, if it ever does,” is the devastating verdict of experts on the iconic Sycamore Gap tree after it was felled.

With police believing it to be a deliberate act of vandalism, the chainsaw-cutting down of the world-famous tree next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland, has triggered widespread outrage and sorrow.

Northumbria Police launched an investigation on Thursday after the majestic Sycamore Gap tree, thought to be around 300 years old, was cut down overnight. The force arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident but has since released him on bail.

A man in his sixties was arrested on Friday evening. He remains in police custody.

Author Colin Tudge explores why the felling of the tree could mark a shift in collective mindset