Dozens of artists gather to paint Shropshire Darwin Oak

Dozens of artists came together in a bid to stop the felling of a 500-year-old oak tree to make way for a bypass.

Known as the Darwin Oak, after naturalist Charles Darwin who lived in Shrewsbury, it is on the route of the North West Relief Road, which was backed by councillors last month.

Artists gathered at the tree on Sunday to capture it in protest against its possible loss.

Over 91,000 people have signed a petition calling for it to be saved.

Rob McBride, who organised the community painting event, said it was to "make positive protest against the bypass proposal that will destroy over 1,000 trees and the now-famous Darwin Oak".

Earlier this month, artist Daniel Llywelyn-Hall painted and decorated the tree in a bid to save it.

Mr Llywelyn-Hall, who painted a portrait of the Queen in 2013, uses his artwork to help campaign to keep ancient trees and said he wanted to make more people aware of the threat to the Darwin Oak and other trees.

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