VILLAGERS are mourning the end of an era after highways chiefs announced that a 120-year-old tree was posing a threat to public safety.

The sycamore tree at Scorton, near Richmond, was condemned at a public meeting after only recently being given an 11th hour stay of execution.

North Yorkshire County Council is now to pull down the 40ft tree after specialists ruled that it was in too much of a dangerous condition.

The giant tree, which stands at the junction of the B6271 Northallerton road and the B1263, had been the subject of a long-running debate with various studies producing conflicting reports.

But North Yorkshire's director of environmental services, Mike Moore, said yesterday: "I'm afraid it is going to have to be brought down.

"In the case of a dangerous tree standing on the highway, we have to protect the public if there is a chance of the tree, or part of it, coming down. It is having to come down for safety reasons."

Mr Moore said alternative solutions had been considered, but felling the tree was seen as the only way to guarantee the safety of residents.

"Pruning the tree was the alternative, but we have taken advice from our insurers, and they are saying that even if we pruned it back there could still be problems affecting the stability of the tree."

Highways engineers are hoping to pull the tree down as soon as possible, Mr Moore added.

"While we can take time to talk to people about it, there is still a risk which is running all the time.

"We have offered to do some planting locally and this will be discussed with the parish council."

Scorton resident Hugh Bennison said: "There is a great deal of disappointment about this. It is a sad day, but it is the council's tree, on their land."

The tree appeared to have been saved earlier this year when Scorton parish councillors pleaded with the county council to make further investigations.

But Mr Moore said checks with the authority's insurers confirmed that it would be liable for any accidents.