In the case of the well-known sycamore tree in the north of England, recently illegally felled, the 16-year-old suspect has been released on bail. Northumbria Police announced this on Friday. The teenager had been arrested the previous day on suspicion of property damage after the tree known from the movie “Robin Hood, the King of Thieves” was cut down overnight. Therefore, investigations are ongoing.

The incident caused great consternation in Britain. The National Trust, the organization responsible for maintaining Hadrian’s Wall, said it was “shocked and saddened”. The tree was reportedly more than 400 years old. According to the nature conservation organization Woodland Trust, the tree could sprout again. However, it will probably take between 150 and 200 years until similar growth is achieved, one expert told the BBC.

Footage showed that the mighty tree had been cut down with a clean cut just above the ground. The tree was located in a depression, the so-called Sycamore Gap, and was a popular photographic subject. Now the trunk lay sprawled on Hadrian’s Wall. The wall was built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD to protect themselves from attacks from the north and control trade routes. The remains dot the mountainous landscape near the English-Scotland border and are a popular hiking destination.