ABINGDON residents are pining for a new Christmas tree after being left unimpressed with this year’s muddy and broken town centrepiece.

Abingdon Town Council has demanded the Market Place tree is replaced in time for the Christmas lights switch on, Tuesday, November 30.

The tree was set up on the evening of Monday, November 15, but daylight the following day revealed the broken branches and mud covering one of its sides.

Decorators were stopped from wrapping lights around the tree while the council complained to contractors Lamp and Tube Illuminations, who have now agreed to replace it.

Mayor Duncan Brown said: “I’m sure they will get it right in time, but it is a bit of a shame. It is a bit dirty and not the fullest tree.

“You have expectations for a Christmas tree and if it does not fulfil our expectations I would expect the suppliers to replace it.”

Deputy mayor Alistair Fear said: “It looks pretty awful. It looks half-dead to me.

“I don’t know how they had the nerve to put it up.”

“It looks like the sort of tree you would pick up on Christmas Eve because it is the last one left.”

Peter Wiblin, the owner of West End Newsagents, in Bury Street precinct, said: “It doesn’t look very green.

“It’s obviously very muddy and some of the stems look like they have seen better days.”

President of Abingdon Chamber of Commerce Terry Boswell said: “It looks pretty sad.”

Chamber member Mike Moon said: “I am rather disappointed and I think they could have done better.”

Town clerk Nigel Warner said the tree cost between £300 and £400.

He said: “By and large it is quite a nice specimen, but it has been damaged on one side. Either when it was felled or installed.”

He added: “The council is very happy that having brought it to their attention the contractors have agreed with us that it should be replaced to no cost to the council.”

Lamps and Tubes Illuminations spokesman Peter Reynolds said the tree was probably damaged when it was being hauled through the forest and placed under other trees.

He said: “We were also disappointed with the tree, which was supplied, not by us, but by our tree supplier. We have complained to the supplier and he’s changing it free of charge.”

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