A TOWN THAT PUT UP A UNIQUELY BIZARRE FAKE CHRISTMAS TREE DUE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY RULES HAS REPLACED IT WITH A STUNNING REAL TREE AFTER THOUSANDS COMPLAINED. THE £14,000 ARTIFICIAL 'CONE' TREE, IN POOLE, DORSET, HAD NO BRANCHES OR DECORATIONS AND WAS HELD DOWN BY TWO TONS OF BALLAST TO STOP IT FROM FALLING OVER. THE 33ft OBJECT, WHICH WAS VANDALIZED BY ANGRY LOCALS, WAS BRANDED A 'GIANT TRAFFIC CONE' AND OVER 5,000 PEOPLE JOINED A FACEBOOK PROTEST GROUP AGAINST IT. BUT THE TOWN WAS CELEBRATING TODAY AFTER IT WAS TAKEN DOWN AND SWAPPED WITH A TRADITIONAL 30ft NORWAY SPRUCE. TOWN CRIER DAVID SQUIRE: "COMMON SENSE HAS PREVAILED. I AM ALL FOR KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE BUT I DO BELIEVE THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD WITH THESE OVER THE TOP HEALTH AND SAFETY RULES. WE HAVE ALWAYS MANAGED TO EXIST WITHOUT THEM." OFFICIALS CHOSE THE CONE TREE AMID FEARS THAT A TRADITIONAL FIR WOULD BLOW BLOW OVER IN HIGH WINDS, THEY SAID GUIDE ROPES WOULD LOOK UNSIGHTLY AND FEARED THE COUNCIL WOULD BE LIABLE TO PAY COMPENSATION IF IT STRUCK AND INJURED SOMEONE. THE CONE TREE WAS PAID FOR BY THE POOLE TOWN CENTER MANAGEMENT BOARD, A BODY MADE UP OF BUSINESS AND THE LOCAL COUNCIL. BUT AS SOON AS IT WAS INSTALLED IN THE TOWN'S MAIN SQUARE IT WAS IMMEDIATELY RIDICULED BY RESIDENTS AS A WASTE OF MONEY. AT ONE POINT, PANELS OF ITS ASTROTURF-STYLE CLADDING WAS RIPPED OFF BY VANDALS. THE NEW TREE WAS DONATED BY THE TOWN'S DOLPHIN SHOPPING CENTER, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO HAVE COST AROUND £4,000 TO BUY AND INSTALL.
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