A witch's hand was one of many images conjured up by children in Bradford on Avon to describe a 100-year-old beech tree due to be felled next month.

A swansong celebration featuring singing, poetry and a reading was held on Wednesday to mark the lifetime of the tree, which has stood in Victory Field through both World Wars.

Fitzmaurice Primary School pupil Alex Holmes, 10, said he has grown up in Bradford and will be sad to see it go.

He said: “I came to see the tree today because it has been around for a long time. It is very special because people play on the field around the tree all the time.”

The town council commissioned an arboricultural survey on all trees in the field and the historic beech tree was found to have serious defects.

An ultrasound scan indicated it was rotting from the inside and the council were advised to have it felled - which will take place at the end of April.

Pupils from Robins class at Fitzmaurice wrote a poem about the tree and brainstormed words related to the seasons to put into the piece, which they read out in unison at the celebrations.

Sophie Mumford, 10, from Trowbridge, said: “Me and someone else called Raphy had to come up with memories of the tree for the poem. I sometimes come with my family for a walk around here and I always see the tree.”

Community librarian Penny England read out a story called The Harper in Fairyland before the schoolchildren sang ‘Anything Can Happen’ - a song about the town.

Cllr Vicky Landell-Mills said: “It was absolutely gorgeous. The children did very well and joined in with the spirit of things. I saw some of them go up to the tree and hug it. It makes them think about trees and that’s the important thing.”