NEIGHBOURS who chopped a tree in half and were branded ‘the pettiest couple in the UK’ still don't talk to the residents next door three years on. Back in 2021, Bharat Mistry was left furious when her neighbours , Graham and Irene Lee, took drastic action against the beloved tree that had graced her garden in Sheffield for 25 years. The 16ft fir tree, now famously chopped in half, continues to attract curious visitors and even boasts Google reviews.
The elderly couple, both in their 70s, cited overhanging branches and the mess from nesting pigeons as reasons for their year-long dispute. The Lees eventually hired professionals to slice the tree in half, leaving the Mistry family devastated. Despite the passage of time, the tension between the two households lingers.
Mrs Mistry told The Sun Online, “We exchange pleasantries now but that is all. We have come to live with our tree as it is after nearly three years but not love it. "I don’t let it bother me now - we can't change it.
It’s still standing and we maintain it. We get on with our business and they get on with theirs.”.
The bizarre sight of the half-tree has captured the public’s imagination. It’s now featured on Google Maps , with visitors frequently stopping by to snap photos. Mrs Mistry noted, “You still get the odd car coming down the road and you see people doing pictures at the tree.
"It’s a nice quiet neighbourhood to live in and the tree issue has been the only dispute for many years.” she s.
