THE strange case of the missing tree has stumped a Poole resident and the council’s planning enforcement team.

In a case worthy of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, it appears that an 80ft mature sweet chestnut tree, 60-70 years old, was mysteriously felled and carried away from a Branksome Park garden.

“It’s been stolen,” said a bemused Adele Copeman-King, 53, who lives in a flat at Wilderton House in Wilderton Road and owns the land’s freehold.

“The first I knew of it was when a neighbour said to my partner, I see you have taken one of the trees down at the front.

“I have absolutely no idea why someone would do this,” she said.

“It’s bizarre,” said Andy Dearing, Borough of Poole planning enforce-ment manager. “We are investigating.”

The towering tree, which is covered by a legally enforceable area tree protection order, has been cut down from the boundary of the garden leaving a stump and an eight foot length of trunk too heavy to carry away.

And it must have been felled on to the road and cut up, without anyone seeing or hearing anything.

Adele, a former ambulance driver, said after she was alerted she confronted a man loading some of her tree which he had found on the verge, into a white van.

She reported the baffling crime to the police – who have logged it with a crime number – and to the council.

“We can’t establish a reason why the tree has been removed,” said Mr Dearing. “There is no sea view, no planning gain. I have checked with highways officers and they haven’t had the tree removed. It’s an absolute mystery.”

He added: “If anyone can assist us we would like to hear from them.”

Anyone with any information can contact the council’s planning enforcement team on 01202 633316.