Sycamore Gap: Boy, 16, arrested after Hadrian's Wall tree felled

Northumbria Police said the teenager had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the felling of one of the UK's most celebrated trees.

The landmark at Sycamore Gap, beside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, was cut down overnight.

Northumberland National Park Authority officials believe the tree, known as Robin Hood's Tree, was "deliberately felled".

Northumbria Police said the teenager had been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.

He is in custody and helping with the investigation, a force spokesman said.

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The tree was featured in Kevin Costner's 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Supt Kevin Waring described the tree as "a world-renowned landmark" and said its loss had "caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond".

He added: "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.

"Any information - no matter how small or insignificant you think it may be - could prove absolutely crucial to our inquiries."

A police cordon was put around the fallen tree as the investigation got under way

The tree grew in a natural dip in the landscape near Hexham and featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner.

In 2016, it was named Tree of the Year in a competition organised by the Woodland Trust.

The tree's felling led to an outpouring of emotion with many lamenting the loss of an emblem of the North East.

Photographer Ian Sproat said his "heart was ripped out" when he saw the damage, while Hexham MP Guy Opperman described being "utterly stunned".

Northumbria Police said it launched an immediate investigation

The National Trust, meanwhile, said it was "shocked and saddened" by the loss of the sycamore, which it declared "an important and iconic feature in the landscape for nearly 200 years".

Alison Hawkins, who lives in Liverpool, was one of the first on the scene on Thursday as she walked along the remains of the famous Roman wall.

She said she was "tearful" when she was told by a national park ranger that the tree had been cut down.

"It was a proper shock. It's basically the iconic picture that everyone wants to see."