Protesters facing jail threat in tree battle

But the fourth protester to occupy the tree at Irton said he was willing to “sit it out” despite the looming deadline.

Scarborough musician Rob Simpson said: “The needs of the villagers are greater than the needs of a single householder.”

In a last-ditch attempt to save the historic tree, campaigning residents battled against the clock on Wednesday to exploit a loophole in an injunction that was served by the High Court this week.

Villagers beat a 4pm deadline to serve documents to the court recommending alternative solutions to felling the tree, after they claimed North Yorkshire County Council had missed out a report containing vital information on why it should not be chopped down.

However, yesterday they were still anxiously waiting to find out if their efforts had been successful.

Protester Charles Ledger climbed down from the tree yesterday after spending four nights among its branches. Mark “Snoz” Snow was the first protester to stage a four-night sit-in after he scaled the beech last Tuesday.

The tree is at the root of a five-year battle that has cost the taxpayers £250,000 and has resulted in a bitter dispute between two councils. Residents and the owners of a nearby property have been battling to get the tree cut down on safety grounds. The argument went to court following an attempt by the county council to have the tree felled when Scarborough Council refused to remove a tree preservation order.

A county council spokesman said: “The injunction applies to persons entering or remaining without consent in the area of highway around the beech tree at 23 Main Street, Irton, in connection with preventing the felling of the tree. Anyone who disobeys the injunction may be found guilty of contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized.”