Disease-hit tree is axed

A 75-FEET-HIGH, 200-year-old beech tree in Linlithgow has been cut down after it was found to be diseased.

The tree, which sat on Manse Road, adjacent to Oatlands Park, was recently found to have a fungal disease known as Ganoderma, which caused extensive decay to its base.

A spokesman for West Lothian Council said: "The tree's structural strength was compromised and given its proximity to Manse Road and the adjacent play area, we had no choice but to fell the tree."