Chainsaw oil ‘fingerprint’ could help police crack Sycamore Gap case | UK News

Specks of oil left on the stump of the Sycamore Gap tree would be the final piece of evidence police need to hunt down who chopped it down.

Last month, one of the country’s most famous trees, a 300-year-old sycamore tucked inside Hadrian’s Wall was felled in what police described as ‘vandalism’.

County police are trying to work out who chopped down the tree overnight between September 27 and 28.

Northumberland police arrested former lumberjack Walter Renwick, 69, last week – he has since been released on bail and denied any wrongdoing.

While a 16-year-old boy was also questioned and released.

But oil on the stump, a police source has said, could have a ‘unique forensic makeup’ that would help experts figure out the make of chainsaw.

Oil helps lubricate the parts of a gas-powered chainsaw, such as the saw, to prevent wear and tear or overheating.

The police insider told The Times: ‘It’s not uncommon for farmers to save themselves £20 by using engine oil to lubricate the chain.

‘Or they might have used one of the popular makes like Husqvarna or Stihl. Or perhaps a blend of both might be found, giving a unique forensic makeup.’

Dr Angela Gallop, a forensic scientist, added to the newspaper that the blend of oil could act as a ‘chemical fingerprint’.

Investigators hope the sawdust and tree particles on the culprit’s chainsaw or clothing could match the Sycamore Gap.

The police have previously said that they believed the 70ft tree, voted Tree of the Year in 2016 in the Woodland Trust awards, had been ‘deliberately felled’.

Sycamore Gap’s felling touched off an outpouring of grief and frustration among locals, environmental groups, nature officials and politicians.

The tree had stood in a gap halfway along the 80-mile Hadrian’s Wall, also known as the Roman Wall, which was built between the Roman Empire and an unconquered patch of land of what is now mostly Scotland.

It had long been a symbol of the area, featured on souvenirs sold in nearby shops as well as gin bottles.

The Sycamore Gap even has an IMDb page, having been featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman.

Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney-Menzies, of Northumbria Police, said in a recent statement: ‘The senseless destruction of what is undoubtedly a world-renowned landmark – and a local treasure – has quite rightly resulted in an outpour shock, horror and anger throughout the North East and further afield.’

The Northumberland National Park Authority added that officials are working together with the landowner to consider plans to replant the tree.

‘The tree at Sycamore Gap meant something to so many people,’ the authority said.

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