It's not a Disney movie! Why Trafalgar Square's 'damaged' Christmas tree won't be getting replaced
Trafalgar Square's controversial Christmas tree won't be getting replaced because Oslo's City Council said it wasn't meant to look like something from a Disney movie.
The sight of the tree, which was damaged on its journey from Norway to London, caused a huge stir on social media with some calling it 'thin, anaemic and ugly'.
However proposals to send a new better looking tree to London in time for Christmas were voted down by Oslo councillors.
They said it was only natural some branches may break during the tree's long journey.
Norway has given Britain a spruce every year since 1947 to show thanks for support in the Second World War.
A Westminster Council spokesperson defended the offering as a symbol of friendship, adding: "I don’t know what people expect a 90-year-old 72ft tree to look like, but it is going to be different from a tree you have in your home."
Criticism of the tree's appearance did not stop crowds gathering to watch the lights switched on last Thursday.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Mayor of Oslo Marianne Borgen said: "It is really an honour for me to present to you this year’s Christmas tree from Oslo."
The tree is chopped down in a PEFC certified forest in November, before being transported to London via boat and lorry.