| Walter Renwick, a 69 Yo retiree who lives on Plankey Mill Farm just 8 miles from the gap, was arrested on Friday. The farm is owned by the Jesuits. He directed an unauthorized campsite on the farm. National Trust owns an adjacent property to the campsite. Over a number of years, the Jesuits, have received complaints from both the local council and the National Trust about the unsocial behavior of several campers, especially in 2020. This lead to him being evicted in July 2023, after a 15 years grace period given from the Jesuits to find a new home [1]. Local rumors had linked him with the tree felling, because of his former profession of lumberjack, and as revenge by been evicted from his home. He said that he didn't do it. "It makes it sound like me, doesn't it, because it was a good cut. It was dark obviously but it was a lovely moonlit night... the cut was brilliant. You can tell a good lumberjack by the way he cuts a tree down. I haven't seen the cut obviously, but I have seen it on the computer" [2]. Maybe it was him or maybe not, but he had the skills, the opportunity, and the motivation. [1] https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1788020/Jesuits-evicting-t... [2] https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/sycamore-gap-lumberjack-walter-re... |