Anne Frank tree falls down

THE chestnut tree that cheered Anne Frank while she was in hiding from the Nazis toppled over in strong winds yesterday.

The diseased tree made headlines around the world in 2007 when Amsterdam city council ordered it cut down for safety reasons.

Supporters who saw the tree – seen by the 13-year-old from her hiding place in the attic of an Amsterdam town house – as a symbol of freedom protested and it was granted a last-minute reprieve.

The 27-ton tree was encased in a steel support system, but that failed to save it.

A spokeswoman at the house which is now a museum to Anne’s memory, said the tree’s trunk snapped about three feet from the ground and it fell into neighbouring gardens. No one was hurt.

Many clones of the tree have been taken.