Sycamore Gap tree suspect, 38, denies chopping down famous landmark from Robin Hood movie after he and 'accomplice', 31, arrive at court with their faces completely covered

A antheral accused of felling the celebrated Sycamore Gap tree has denied charges of transgression damage.

Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, appeared astatine Newcastle Magistrates' Court connected Wednesday. 

Graham, of Carlisle, entered pleas of not guilty, portion Carruthers, of Wigton, Cumbria, entered nary pleas. 

The overmuch photographed tree, which features successful the 1991 movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, was chopped down successful the dormant of nighttime successful September past year, causing a nationalist outrage.

It was recovered with its precocious conception lying crossed the historical Roman barrier, which is simply a World Heritage Site, aft being targeted successful a 'malicious enactment of vandalism'. 

The brace are charged with transgression harm to spot of a worth implicit £5,000, namely 'without lawful excuse, damaged a sycamore histrion to the worth of £622,191 belonging to the National Trust'.

They look a 2nd complaint of transgression harm to spot valued nether £5,000, namely Hadrian's Wall, with the harm assessed to the Unesco World Heritage Site arsenic being £1,144.

Both offences were alleged to person been committed connected September 28 past year. 

Northumbria Police said the men were arrested successful October successful transportation with the incidental and had been connected bail since that date.

Police made a fig of arrests aft the histrion was felled and a teen and antheral successful his 60s were aboriginal some told they volition look nary further action. 

Last September, walkers archetypal noticed however portion of the iconic histrion appeared to person been marked with achromatic paint, indicating idiosyncratic whitethorn person felled it with a chainsaw.

Alison Hawkins, who lives successful Liverpool, was 1 of the archetypal radical connected the country posting a representation connected Facebook with the caption: 'An atrocious infinitesimal for each walking Hadrian's Wall. The Sycamore Gap histrion has gone! Not the tempest an implicit ******* felled it!!'

Ms Hawkins, who was connected her 4th time of walking Hadrian's Wall, said she was 'tearful' erstwhile she discovered the histrion had been chopped down.

She said: 'At archetypal we thought it was due to the fact that of the tempest but past we saw a nationalist parkland ranger.

'He said it had been chopped down and determination was overgarment astir the chopped section, truthful it was a nonrecreational who knew wherever they were going to cut.

'It was a due shock. It's fundamentally the iconic representation that everyone wants to see. You tin forgive quality doing it but you can't forgive that.' 

Following the wicked act, a Northumberland National Park Authority spokesperson said: 'Northumberland National Park Authority tin corroborate that sadly, the celebrated histrion astatine Sycamore Gap has travel down implicit night. We person crushed to judge it has been deliberately felled.

'We are moving with the applicable agencies and partners with an involvement successful this iconic North East landmark and volition contented much details erstwhile they are known.' 

They added: 'It is not wide presently whether the histrion is simply a unfortunate of Storm Agnes oregon it is simply a deliberate enactment - though pictures bespeak a cleanable and consecutive cut.'

The Sycamore Gap was voted English Tree of the Year successful 2016 successful the Woodland Trust's awards and is overmuch loved by radical from crossed the world. 

The politician for North Tyne and Metro, Jamie Driscoll, visited the devastation and said: 'This histrion is iconic. You tin spot emotion stones connected the level wherever radical successful the past person projected to their partners.

'Other radical person had their ashes scattered here. This is portion of our culture. I person household successful North America and erstwhile they travel crossed we instrumentality them here.

'This is not a histrion chopped down. This is an insult to the radical of Northumberland. If you look astatine the damage, you realise it is idiosyncratic with a 28-inch chainsaw who knew what they're doing.

'I've had tons of messages from radical who are upset astir it. I'm usually a measured antheral but I'm precise aggravated astir this.

'I've heard radical are successful tears. It's a truly peculiar spot to the radical from the surrounding area.'

The National Trust, which owns the onshore connected which the histrion stood, hopes the sycamore volition unrecorded connected aft scientists recovered that salvaged seeds and cuttings are showing signs of being viable for caller growth.