A tree planted a quarter of a century ago as a tribute to people killed at work or who have died of work-related diseases has been suddenly chopped down.

The commemorative mulberry tree in Rochester Castle Gardens was erected by the Medway local government branch of Unison and is a shrine where mourners can show their respect to loved ones.

Every year to mark International Workers’ Memorial Day an emotive service is held in the grounds in the shadow of the castle.

Family and friends are invited to place name tags and purple ribbons on the branches at a ceremony attended by different faiths in the community.

At the end, there is a minute’s silence.

Sadly, a council tree officer has carried out an inspection and deemed it too damaged and in urgent need of pollarding for public safety reasons.

It now stands as a sorry-looking stump with only the commemorative plaque to remind the thousands who flock to the tourist hotspot as to why it‘s there.

The plaque reads: “Erected by the Medway Towns Local Government Branch of the trade union Unison on 28th April 1998, this mulberry tree in Rochester Castle Grounds is dedicated to all those killed at work or who have died from work-related illnesses.”

The tree was initially installed as a long-lasting memento to Bob Wade, known as a green champion, a senior council park ranger and a Unison assistant branch secretary.

He worked closely with a number of community groups and was one of the original members of the Friends of Broomhill, promoted the Love Music Hate Racism campaign and chaired Rochester and Strood Labour Party as well as the council’s Unison branch.

Bob, who lived in Rochester, died of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related disease at the age of 47.

Having spoken to the council’s tree surgeon, Tania Earnshaw, Medway local government branch secretary, said they would be giving the stump “a chance to grow”.

But, in the meantime, they would be looking at “options” for next year’s memorial day in April.

She said: “It’s part of Bob’s legacy and we have a commitment that we have something in place that’s respectful and in-keeping for next year.”

Council leader Vince Maple (Lab) has been a regular attendee of the service over the years.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that nature has taken its toll, particularly as this tree has a place in the hearts of so many people in our community.”

Cllr Maple thanked officers who had retrieved labels and ribbons and stored them in a safe place.

A passer-by, who did not wish to be named, was angry about its demise.

The Rochester resident, who noticed it had been chopped on his regular trip to the shops in the nearby High Street, said: “One minute it appears to be a healthy tree and the next it’s gone.

“I asked a worker about it and he referred to it as the ‘sacred tree’. Then somebody else told me it had to come down because a branch had fallen off.

“It’s not any old tree it means a lot to people. A lot of people will be very upset.

“I just only hope it’s replaced with a similar tree.”

A Medway Council spokesman said: “Work has been carried out to remove damaged limbs on the Workers’ Memorial Tree in Rochester Castle Grounds.

“An assessment was carried out this week and sadly the extent of the damage to the limbs, which had split apart, meant the only course of action was pollarding the tree.

“This work needed to be undertaken quickly due to understandable public safety concerns.

“The mulberry tree has not been felled entirely, and we are confident it will regrow and last a long time.

“Medway Council is currently considering options for planting another tree in the immediate area to mitigate the impact of these essential works.

“Commemorative ribbons and cards have been collected and stored, and we are looking for an alternative location for this important memorial.”