Labour must protect the nation's oldest and rarest trees after Sycamore Gap felling

Campaigners have demanded the government protect the UK's oldest and most special trees following the Sycamore Gap saga.

The country has more ancient oak trees than the rest of Europe combined but there is no automatic right of protection for them, the Woodland Trust said.

The conservation charity, Vikings: Valhalla star David Oakes and MPs on Monday took a petition with 100,000 signatures to No10 calling for new laws.

Mr Oakes said: "Ancient and veteran trees aren't simply trees. The longer a tree stays in the ground, the more relationships it has with the life surrounding it. We have nothing in place to protect these trees, these whole habitats, ecosystems, miniature cities that grow up everywhere."

A survey by the Woodland Trust showed some 83% of people agreed or strongly agreed that there should be legal protection for the UK's oldest and most special trees, a figure which rose to 88% after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall last September.

Two men have been charged with felling the famous tree and causing £622,000 of damages.

Alex Mayer MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Woods and Trees, said: "Iconic trees need protection and we must be their protectors.

She said: "There is something very special about looking up at a tree that has stood for centuries. They are the quiet witness to the lives of countless people who walked beneath their branches.

"Our oldest trees can link the Battle of Hastings and the Blitz, Charles I and the present King, the Black Death and the pandemic. We need to look after the country's oldest and most important trees, as the Government gets on with delivering on its pledge to plant millions more trees across the country."

The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs has been contacted for comment.