Sam Volpe

A sapling grown from the Sycamore Gap tree, felled illegally in 2023, was stolen from the National Trust-run Wray Parkland and Castle in the Lake District. Staff reported being shocked and saddened and are working with Cumbria Police, urging anyone with information to come forward. The sapling, one of fifteen planted across UK national parks as a symbol of resilience and part of a wellbeing initiative with St Mary's Hospice, had been planted in April 2026. The theft follows previous prosecutions of the individuals who cut down the original tree, an act widely condemned. Authorities have issued a crime reference number and appealed for public assistance.