Bah humbug, there’s no tree with fire!

A festive sight at Coppins Bridge in Newport will be missing this year. The Newport fire brigade, who have hoisted a Christmas tree to the top of their training drill tower and decorated it with lights for the last four decades, will not be doing it this year.

A spokesman for the Isle of Wight Council said: “The organisation of the tree is undertaken on a voluntarily basis by the firefighters from one of the watches at the station and not under the direction of the Council.

“Although the Council shares the community’s view about the iconic nature of the tree, it respects the choices made by the firefighters about its provision this year.”

No one was available from Newport fire station to comment.