Given that it was a pro job, it could be someone was hired to cut a tree down but either the contractor went to the wrong tree or was misdirected to it.
I didn’t notice it explicitly in the article, but since the Northumberland National Park Authority commented on this, I wonder if the are it’s in is in a park.
So I wouldn’t be surprised if a park employee gave someone the wrong directions to a tree to cut down. Since it’s a park, maybe they use a system where coordinates are provided and there was a typo or the location reading on the contractors cell phone was off or what not.
I think it may be in a National Park. It sits right on Hadrian’s wall and many people hike along the entire wall that crosses England. We were to see this tree and the wall in August but covid stopped that plan while were in there.
I’m sick now that we missed that chance.
I don’t think a 16 y/o could hold a chainsaw that size, although, they could have helped who. ever did this. The white paint on the tree is puzzling though.
The question that raises is why a contractor would do the job at night. I have dropped big trees at night when I was a firefighter for the USFS, and it is really dangerous and really scary. Whenever possible, we'd wait until daylight.
I don't think this was a 16-year-old's prank, though. Hope the real story comes out someday.