The tree, based in the Lilliput suburb of Poole, was believed to be the UK’s tallest and attracted tourists from all over the UK.

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The tree was planted in the back garden of a home in the area more than 50 years ago by a former owner.

It was claimed the 18-metre (60ft) tree, which attracted visitors to the area when it bloomed, would fall and damage any homes in its path.

A number of locals have now shared their anger at the famous tree’s felling, with one stating it was “heartbreaking” to see it go.

IT manager Brian Ellarby, 43, from Poole, said that something should have been done to preserve the tree.

He said: “Surely some judicious trimming could have made the magnolia tree safer but to simply take it down is as far as I’m concerned is just an act of violence.

“It is a tragedy. We’ve lived here for years and thought it was a lovely tree. We’re devastated that it has gone.”

Kelly New, 50, from Poole, who walks her dog Cosmos through the cemetery opposite, is appalled that such a mature tree could have been toppled.

She said: “I love trees and there’s nothing quite like seeing a magnolia tree in full bloom – it heightens your senses just seeing the wonderful flowers.

“I’ve tried to grow a magnolia and know how difficult it can be so for such a wonderfully mature tree like this to disappear is heart-breaking.”

Matthew Haynes, 49, a self-employed businessman who lives a few yards from where the tree stood said he was shocked at the magnolia’s demise.

He said: “To be honest it has always been there and it is like losing an old friend now that it has gone.

“I would like to know who said it was dangerous because anyone can say something like that but I would hope the authorities would independently assess the claim before allowing such a wonderful tree to be destroyed.

“One person’s dangerous tree is another person’s tree in need of pruning. It was such a sight to behold in the spring when it came into flower – now there’s nothing.”

The owners of the detached house had commissioned a tree surgeon to inspect it, who discovered its state of decay.

A Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council officer agreed it should come down, saying it could fall on to any one of three properties if it was blown down in its weakened state.

Graham Whitehall, of the Dorset Lake community group, said: “It’s a difficult one. I’m a big tree lover but I think this was the right tree in the wrong place.

“We had heard rumblings about the fact it was no longer there and then we got confirmation that the owners got permission to fell it.

“It’s a Marmite moment: you will have some people saying it’s the owner’s tree they can do what they want, and others will say it’s a public amenity and should be protected.

“It was magnificent, but at the end of the day the person who owns that property is responsible for that tree and if they feel it is a danger and have done everything in the correct way, there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The owner who planted the tree died in the 1980s.

At the time a neighbour was so worried the new owner of the property might want to get rid of the magnolia they successfully applied to have a tree preservation order put on it.

The council previously said the magnolia “contributes significant visual amenity” to the area and is a “fine example of an unusual tree” and therefore has “rarity value”.

But not everyone was a fan.

Council records showed some neighbours had previously complained the tree had grown too big for the plot and made a lot of mess – with the fallen petals said to fill five wheelie bins a year.

The Sun has contacted Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council for comment.

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