NOW here's something you don't see every day.

When a historic chestnut tree was felled in Holdenhurst Village, the shape of a smaller tree was revealed imprinted on a fallen branch.

The 200-year-old conker tree was felled after it was discovered to be diseased.

Despite efforts by villagers and the local MP, Tobias Ellwood, to save it, the chestnut was cut down after advice from tree surgeons.

Wendy Sharp, chair of Holdenhurst Action Village Group, was disappointed by the felling. "The tree brought pleasure to a lot of people. Children came from miles around for the conkers," she said.

Her daughter, Amber, 21, is the third generation of the family to live in the village. "To me, the tree was very special. I used to come here when I visited my gran."

But Bob Johnson, the council's planning control manager, said: "The inspection found that the tree had extensive decay from the base of the trunk extending up into the main limbs.

"It was concluded that for safety reasons there was little option other than for them to fell the tree and plant a replacement."

Tree surgeon, Steve Stones, 48, condemned the tree as unsafe and warned of dire consequences if it had remained.

"Each limb weighs several tonnes. If the tree fell during a storm, someone might have been killed."

Strouden Park councillor Michael Weinhonig had worked with villagers to save the tree. "All we wanted for the tree was a second chance," he said.