A 500-year-old oak tree that was cut down by a Toby Carvery had nothing wrong with it, a report has found.
The popular chain restaurant prompted a furious backlash in April 2025 after it felled the ancient oak in Enfield, north London.
At the time Mitchell and Butlers, who own Toby Carvery, initially claimed contractors chopped down the tree after acting on the advice of experts who assessed it as dying and a risk to the public.
But Enfield Council, which leases the land to Mitchells & Butlers, later said it found the oak was healthy and posed no risk during a Deember 2024 inspection.
Now a Forestry Commission report has confirmed that the tree showed no signs of major tree diseases and noted the trunk was largely intact, aside from cavity which showed evidence of wildlife living there.
Backlash against the incident has continued, with the local council starting eviction proceedings against the restaurant's owners for 'serious breaches of their lease'.
The tree had grown on the edge of Whitewebbs Park for over 500 years and had stood the test of time through the gunpowder plot, the industrial revolution and two world wars.
The ancient oak tree in Enfield, north London, which had stood in the area for 500 years before it was chopped down in April last year
The oak tree after it was felled. A report released by the Forestry Commission has confirmed that the tree no signs of major tree diseases and noted the trunk was largely intact, aside from cavity which showed evidence of wildlife living there
Dr Ed Pyne, senior conservation adviser at the Woodland Trust, said while the tree was 'very much alive' it has a 'less than one per cent' chance of surviving.
Russell Miller, a campaigner for Guardians of Whitewebbs - a local community campaign group in Enfield formed to protect Whitewebbs Park - went as far to claim the oak tree was 'worth 1,000 Sycamore Gaps'.
The Sycamore Gap was a famous 120-year-old tree in Northumberland that was illegally felled in 2023.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Miller said: 'If you were to compare ecologically Sycamore Gap with this tree, this tree is worth 1,000 Sycamore Gaps, more than that.
'The Sycamore Gap was a relatively young tree, which isn't in any way to undermine the significance of the loss to the people who valued that tree.
'All I'm trying to do is help people understand is the scale of this destruction.'
And Mr Miller previously estimated the oak tree was worth £1million.
Mr Miller and the campaign group have called on the Metropolitan Police to launch a criminal investigation into the felling.
The entrance to Toby Carvery in Enfield. At the time Mitchell and Butlers, who own Toby Carvery, initially claimed contractors chopped down the tree after acting on the advice of experts who assessed it as dying and a risk to the public
Enfield Council said it had reported a case of criminal damage to the Met Police at the time of the felling, however it is understood the force has deemed it a civil matter.
Councillor Tim Leaver, Deputy Leader of Enfield Council previously said the felling of the 'irreplaceable' tree was a 'reckless act' which 'shocked and angered our entire community'.
He added: 'The destruction of the ancient Whitewebbs Oak was a reckless act which caused huge damage to the tree and cut its expected lifespan. It shocked and angered our entire community.
'This centuries-old tree, sometimes known as the Guy Fawkes Oak, was an irreplaceable part of Enfield's natural heritage and was felled without the Council's knowledge or consent, in clear breach of the lease governing the site.
'Enfield Council has served a formal Section 146 notice on Mitchells & Butlers, the company responsible for the Toby Carvery at Whitewebbs Park. They have failed to engage meaningfully with the Council or to make reparations. We have therefore started forfeiture proceedings for serious breaches of their lease.
'We ask that Mitchells & Butlers issues a public apology and provide financial reparations for the irreversible damage they have caused as well as compensate the Council for the significant costs incurred.
'The people of Enfield deserve accountability. This case is about upholding our duty to protect our environment and our shared heritage.
'We will do everything within our power to ensure justice for the Whitewebbs Oak and seek to make it clear that such reckless disregard for our borough will never be tolerated.'
The Forestry Commision panel reviewing the case concluded that issuing an advisory letter to Mitchells & Butlers was the most suitable response as it said no offence had been committed under the Forestry Act.
A spokesperson for Toby Carvery, said: 'We are unable to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.'
The Daily Mail have approached the Metropolitan Police for a comment.
