A tree chopped in half by an angry retired couple in a bitter boundary feud has since become an unlikely tourist attraction – and even has Google reviews. Bharat Mistry was left gutted in 2021 when Irene and Graham Lee sliced half the branches off the 16ft fir that had stood outside their homes for for 25 years. The drastic action came after a year-long dispute between Mr Mistry and the Lees, both in their 70s, in the leafy Sheffield suburb of Waterthorpe.
He said the couple were angered because birds had been nesting in there and damaging their driveway with droppings. Three years on, locals say rubberneckers still visit the quiet cul-de-sac – where houses sell for around £220,000 – for a good look at the tree, which is still cut in half. It has even been tagged as a tourist attraction on Google Maps and visitors have left reviews.
One reviewer – who left a three star rating – wrote: “Interesting tree that was cut in half due to a feud between the two neighbours. “The story was also over the news and was interesting to visit the location and see the news turn into real life. “Google street view is not updated since 10 years ago, so you can actually see the original tree before it was cut off.
“Not worth driving a long distance, but if you were nearby, it’s worth paying a visit.” Neither the Mistries nor the Lees answered the door to reporters this week. But neighbours said the pair haven’t repaired their relationship since the spat sparked global hea.