Shoe Tree felled

US Police in Nevada are looking for vandals who cut down a local landmark known as the 'Shoe Tree'.

The tree was adorned with some 30 years worth of footwear - from biker boots to baby shoes - and became a popular tourist attraction for visitors travelling through the town of Middlegate on Highway 50, dubbed the 'Loneliest Road in America'.

The 21 metres tall cottonwood was, however, chopped down by vandals at the end of last week, causing local outrage.

Middlegate bartender Travis Anderton said: "There are a lot of angry people. The tree helps out business. People come out to see the Shoe Tree.

"Somebody did this in the middle of the night, people came in and said there was sawdust on the snow, so the cut was fresh.

"But I am curious why someone would want to do that?"

Rick Gray, executive director of the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority described the tree as a "quirky landmark", and compared it to a Christmas tree, adding people would stop just to marvel at the sheer number of shoes adorning its limbs.

District attorney Art Mallory is also taking the case seriously, saying: "This is a historic landmark, and it has a lot of meaning and tradition for people."