Subject: Is this worst Christmas 'tree' in Britain?

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Is this the worst Christmas “tree” in Britain?

The angry residents of Stockton-on-Tees think so, taking to social networking sites to describe it as a ‘disgrace’, an ‘embarrassment’ and a ‘joke’.

The white structure - a piece of material stretched over a cone - went up in the town centre in time for the first Christmas shoppers at the weekend.

But it has become a laughing stock and early contender for the title of worst in the land.

Anne Chivers, 64, a retired grandmother who lives in the town, said: “It is a complete disgrace.

“It is absolutely awful. How can anyone put a thing like that up and think it is OK to pass it off as a Christmas tree?

“The lights are godawful, and it is simply an embarrassment. It’s like an upside down cornet.

“I will be taking my grandchildren to see the switching on of the lights somewhere else this year.

“It’s the kind of thing you might put up in your garden if you wanted to annoy the neighbours. It’s a joke.”

A picture of the tree has been posted on Facebook, and there has been no shortage of critics.

Kevin Parsons wrote: “It’s a wigwam hahaha.”

Mark Wilson added: “I don’t understand why they spent thousands on fireworks and use an old dunces hat for the Xmas tree.”

Toni Fitzpatrick added: “That’s rubbish.”

Joanne Outhwaite suggested they ‘shouldn’t have even bothered.’

A council spokesman stressed work was under way to renovate the town centre.

He said: “We’re in the middle of a multi-million pound redevelopment of the High Street.

“The central and northern sections are quite literally a building site, so there’s no room for our normal 40 ft high Spruce, which will be back next year.

“In the interim we’ve used the 20ft cone with illuminated snowflake designs, rather than leave this part of the High Street bare.

“We know that a traditional Christmas tree always makes a great centrepiece but there’s so much more going on in Stockton.

“We would ask that our public bear with us this year and look forward to a traditional Christmas tree returning to a new-look high street next year - we’re sure it will be worth the wait!”

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