THE remains of an iconic 300-year-old tree which was torn down during the construction of the M11 Link Road have been removed.
Mystery surrounds where the remains of the historic sweet chestnut are as the fallen trunk which was lying on George Green, Wanstead, has disappeared.
The remains of the tree had been lying on the Green since it was felled in 1993 after its trunk caved in.
The tree was famously occupied by protesters who tried to block the development, and its final demise was covered by national press and TV news.
A proposal to turn part of the chestnut into a sculpture or bench in the grounds of the Corner House (now the Allan Burgess Centre) in Grove Park, along with a plaque commemorating the struggle against the road were put forward by campaigners in January 2009 - but its dilapidated shell remained more than a year later.
Jack Figg, a member of the Wanstead Society, said: "I didn't know about it.
"The council have been threatening to remove it for some time and we've campaigned to save it in the past.
"Someone may have taken it to use the wood, I suppose it may be quite valuable."
The Guardian has asked Redbridge council to comment whether the authority is involved.
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