A 20ft-high Christmas tree erected in Ripon Market Place has been removed after a local councillor described it as being puny and not worthy of the city.

The tree, installed by Harrogate Borough Council in front of the town hall, incurred the wrath of Councillor Tony Simpson, a Ripon member of Harrogate council and a local taxi driver.

Coun Simpson said one side of the tree consisted mostly of dead wood. "It looked dreadful and certainly did not capture the Christmas spirit or do anything for Ripon. I thought Ripon deserved better and so asked if we could have a replacement tree which did not look as if it was ready for firewood," said Coun Simpson.

Harrogate council agreed to his request and arranged for a replacement to be installed.

He said: "I am glad the council recognised it was not appropriate to leave it up for the festive period. It took them just a few hours to act. They had not even got round to putting the decorative lights on the tree before it had been chopped down and removed. But I don't think we should have been sent the original one in the first place."

A council official told Coun Simpson that the tree had brought other complaints.