BBC Christmas tree gets the axe: Broadcasting House decoration is chopped up and carted away amid fears of ‘security risk’ on election night
- The festive decoration went up outside Broadcasting House in London last week
- On Saturday BBC staff saw workmen loading the tree’s remains into bags outside
- Employees were told the tree could have been a security risk on election night
A Christmas tree outside Broadcasting House has been chopped up and carted away – amid bizarre claims it could have posed a ‘security risk’ during the BBC‘s General Election coverage.
It came only a week after the impressive conifer was put up near the main entrance to the London building and decorated with red and gold baubles.
The ‘brutal’ removal has baffled BBC employees with several posting photos on Twitter of the tree as its remains were put in bags, loaded on to a truck and taken away by men in hard hats and high-vis jackets on Saturday.
No more: This impressive Christmas tree was put up outside BBC headquarters – but has already been removed
Rob Davidovitz, BBC News duty editor, said: ‘So the BBC Christmas tree is no more. Too much of a security risk apparently for the election programme. It will however be back after the election. Glad I’m not the one who has to glue it back together!’
Staff were also left wondering exactly what risk the tree posed and questioning why it had to be cut up rather than moved elsewhere or donated to somebody else.
Victoria Cook, a journalist, tweeted: ‘Security guard said it’s now being destroyed, rather than moved for our election coverage? Also telling staff here it’s a ‘security risk’? Waiting for BBC Press Office to respond to our [questions] about WHY this is happening.’
She said she was ‘really sad’ at the tree’s fate and also wondered why the tree could not have been moved.
‘You’d think literally ANY other plan would be preferable to what’s actually happened,’ she said. ‘If we’d known it was going to happen we could have all plotted to steal it!’
She added that she had also asked how much the tree and a possible replacement will cost licence fee payers.
Removal: The Christmas tree outside Broadcasting House has been chopped up and carted away – amid bizarre claims it could have posed a ‘security risk’
Remains: The ‘brutal’ removal has baffled BBC employees with several posting photos on Twitter of the tree as its remains were put in bags
Will Ross, BBC Newsroom’s Africa editor, posted a photo of the tree as it was being cut back and said: ‘The BBC’s Christmas tree has had a traumatic day at the barbers. Security risk? Really?’ He later added: ‘Sweeney Todd style barber – tree murdered.’
Journalist Vicky Baker said: ‘Security risk, apparently. No idea why they had to kill it so brutally though!’
Yesterday a BBC spokesman would only say: ‘The tree has been removed due to activity on the piazza this week and will be replaced soon.’
Presenter Huw Edwards will front the BBC’s election night coverage this year, taking over from David Dimbleby.
Dimbleby, 81, had anchored every election night programme since Margaret Thatcher’s victory in 1979.
Polling expert Sir John Curtice and BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg will also be on the programme.
An exit poll prediction will be revealed at 10pm on Thursday night, once polls have closed around the country.
Meanwhile, Sky News has recruited former Commons speaker John Bercow as an analyst for its election night coverage, hosted by Dermot Murnaghan.
Former chancellor George Osborne and his then-opposite number Ed Balls will appear on ITV’s election coverage.