"Britain's wonkiest Christmas tree" appears in town centre

Shoppers have been left baffled after ‘Britain’s wonkiest Christmas tree’ was installed in their town centre.

Locals are split over the 20ft-high artificial tree which has been erected outside the shopping centre in Evesham, Worcs.

Town centre bosses usually fund a traditional tree but this year opted for a bendy Grinch-style creation.

Residents in the town have expressed mixed views on the wacky S-shaped fir, with some saying they “love it” while others said it looks like it was "broken by the wind".

Gran Katrina Hopkins, 54, took her three-year-old granddaughter to admire the tree.

She said: “I absolutely love it and anyone who moans about it, well bah humbug to them.

“The Grinch is my favourite Christmas movie and I think it’s brilliant to have the wonky tree in the town.

“After all we’ve been through over the last two years, everyone needs a laugh and the tree is certainly putting a smile on people’s faces.”

Some locals disagree and say the tree looks “broken” rather than “wonky”.

Business manager Andy Howell, 50, said: “I know I’ll probably sound like a bit of a stick in the mud but I don’t like it.

“I actually thought it looked broken from the wind rather than being deliberately wonky.

“I have watched the Grinch and my kids loved it when it first came out but the feedback I’ve had is that the tree just looks a bit odd.

"I know quite a few of the business owners in the town and they're all saying the same thing which is this year's tree is just wrong."

Town centre manager Paul James admitted he was expecting the tree would become a "Marmite" issue.