Man accused of chopping down iconic Sycamore Gap tree released by police | UK News

The lumberjack accused of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree has now returned home after being quizzed by police.

Walter Renwick, 69, was spotted back at his farm yesterday after he was arrested by police over the weekend.

The farmer said he wasn’t ‘stupid enough’ to chop down the iconic tree and was seen walking around topless at Plankey Mill farm close to where the tree was cut down in Northumberland.

Footage shows Mr Renwick speaking to police as they leave his property on Sunday.

Mr Renwick was arrested on Saturday, but was released on Sunday by police, it has been reported.

Three police vans were in the driveway his farm, eight miles from the scene in Northumberland, while at least seven officers conducted a search on Saturday.

Mr Renwick, has been ordered to quit the property where he ran a tourist campsite after losing a two-year legal battle.

During the case, he said: ‘I was born here. It is like a tree with roots.’

The speculation is bloody ridiculous,’ Mr Renwick told the Mail. ‘I’ll tell you this much, I wouldn’t be so sad to do that.’

‘It was a lovely tree, an iconic tree, but I mean to go up there and cut that down, I’m not that stupid.’

He added: ‘It makes it sound like me, doesn’t it, because it was a good cut,’ he said, referring to the clean way the tree had been cut down.

‘It was dark obviously but it was a lovely moonlit night… the cut was brilliant.

‘When I say brilliant, you can tell a good lumberjack by the way he cuts a tree down. I haven’t seen the cut obviously, but I have seen it on the computer.’

The 70ft tree — which featured in 1991 Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves — was attacked in the dark between Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Police had previously arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of causing criminal damage, then released him on bail pending further inquiries.

Mr Renwick used to run Plankey Mill farm and campsite but was recently evicted by his landlords, the Jesuits, who are a Catholic order.

On Monday, 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.’

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