Film fans are in mourning after an iconic white oak tree, known for its appearance in classic film Shawshank Redemption, was brought to the ground.
Strong winds blew it down at the weekend and many have been visiting the tree to bid it farewell.
The tree, in Mansfield, Ohio, was a key part of the storyline in the 1994 film, which starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
At the end of the movie, Freeman’s character Red follows clues to the tree, where he finds a box containing a letter and money buried.
The ex-convict is then able to travel to Mexico to meet his old friend Andy, played by Robbins.
Jodie Snavely, from the Mansfield and Richland County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau told the Mansfield News Journal: “From what we know, winds knocked the tree over.
“It’s obviously quite sad for Shawshank fans. But we tell fans that visitors can still come to see the Shawshank oak tree while it’s here.”
Many people online expressed their sadness at the loss of the tree...
The BBC reported that part of the tree had already been felled in 2011 when it was hit by lightning.
The film, based on a novel by Stephen King, remains the highest-rated film of all time on online film database IMDB.