The famous Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian's Wall is likely to regrow some shoots according to a forestry expert

It was felled overnight on Wednesday/Thursday and Northumbria Police believe it was a deliberate act of vandalism.

A 16-year-old male was arrested in connection with the incident. He has since been released on police bail, pending further inquiries.

Chris Brewchorne, who works in forestry and with very old trees, is confident that the stump will see new growth and shoots in a matter of weeks.

He said: “It's big and it's old, but sycamores do regenerate very vigorously. It’s a traditional coppice species.

“At one time, they were coppiced for pit props of all things. And there was a lot of sycamores planted for the pit props in the north and in Scotland.”

Chris has assured people on Facebook that the tree looks healthy and that it has been cut high enough to allow new growth.

He added: “I don't think anyone can 100 per cent guarantee, but I have chopped a 160-year-old oak, which was that size, and it came back.

“A lot of people do not realise the regenerative power of trees and sycamores are one of the best. If it was a beech tree there would be no chance of it coming back.

“The simple fact is the sycamore's a coppice. A forester would have cut it a lot lower than that but if you’ve got a couple of footed bark you’ll see little red shoots, little red buds coming just below the cut on the bark coming out in a few weeks.

“Then it'll go dormant for the winter but I reckon that by the summer next year, that'll have two or three feet of fresh springy growth all around it and I'm quite confident in that.”

“Most of the living part of the tree is actually under the ground and they want to live. They have mechanisms to cope with things like this. They’re clever things.”

The Northumberland National Park Authority released an updated statement this afternoon (Friday) saying: “We are still coming to terms with loss of the tree at Sycamore Gap and we are deeply touched by all the messages and support we have received.

“The tree meant so much to so many and people are, of course, keen to know what comes next. Currently, we are focused on making the site safe, and supporting staff and the community.

“We will be working with the National Trust and other partners to consider opportunities and make plans for the site and the tree.

“In the meantime there will be an opportunity for people to share their thoughts, feelings, pictures and poems at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre over the weekend. We will also post any updates on our social media channels as plans progress.”