Man in his 60s collapses and dies near felled Sycamore Gap beauty spot

A walker died after collapsing in the sweltering heat on the path where the Sycamore Gap tree once stood.

The man in his 60s, who has not yet been named, needed urgent medical help at Steel Rigg near Hadrian's Wall on Saturday as temperatures hit 30c. But he couldn't be revived, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Northumberland National Park Mountain Rescue Team were called to the incident and said in a statement: "Our thoughts and condolences go to the walker’s friends and family."

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police said: "At 1pm on Saturday, July 5, we received a report via the ambulance service that a person was suffering a medical episode while on a path close to Steel Rigg car park in Northumberland. Emergency services attended but the person – a man in his 60s – was sadly pronounced dead a short time later. The man's next of kin have been informed. A report into the man's death has been prepared for the coroner."

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Today, two former workmates are both facing up to 10 years behind bars today after they were found guilty of felling the Sycamore Gap tree. Friends Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, had denied criminal damage to the tree, which was around 150 years old, and Hadrian's Wall, despite overwhelming evidence against them.

The news that shocked the nation left people in disgust over the act and the pair have been convicted of two counts of criminal damage. The famous tree had been growing in a dip on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland for more than 100 years before it was savagely cut down by the pair.

A jury at Newcastle Crown Court heard that they hadfilmed themselves on their 'moronic mission'before boasting about it in text messages. Carruthers was said to have been motivated by a desire to get a trophy from the tree as a 'souvenir' for his daughter, who had been born just 12 days before the tree was felled on September 28, 2023.

There has been an application for Graham and Carruthers to appear in handcuffs in the dock. It is a security measure put in place on occasions to prevent defendants attacking each other before sentence is passed. The application is from the firm responsible for dock security; it has to be agreed by the Judge Mrs Justice Lambert.

Graham had a grudge against authorities who rejected his bid to live near Hadrian's Wall. He had made an application for a 'Lawful Development Certificate' in 2022. Residents and planning officials from Beaumont Parish Council, a remote Cumbrian rural community, told how they felt threatened by Graham's 'dominant and oppressive behaviour'.

When he was charged with felling the tree, a neighbour told of his dislike of the authorities. "When he was refused permission to live there, many people thought he said 'right, I will show them'," said one woman, who declined to be named. "They thought that could have motivated him to do it. His site grew and grew, there were big lorries going back and forth all the time.

"He built a mound to hide what was going on there. When we saw all the police vehicles there, after the tree was felled, we initially thought it was to do with the hunt for a missing person. Later, it became apparent that he had been questioned over the tree." She added: "His behaviour did not change once he was arrested. He still had people going back and forth at all hours of the day and night."