DAWLISH Town Council has put out a trunk call to residents, asking what should be done with the remains of a giant horse chestnut treee.

For safety reasons, the tree was taken down on The Lawn after it was discovered to be diseased and nearly dead.

Now all that remains is its stump, which is still big enough to dwarf many people, including mayor Cllr Val Mawhood who posed with it for the Dawlish Gazette, saying she could only just peek over the top by standing on tiptoe.

With its huge girth and standing some five feet high, the council wanted to make something out of the remains of the now not so jolly green giant.

Town Council spokesperson Angie Weatherhead said: ‘The council’s civic amenities committee went on a green walkaround in the town with ground maintenance staff.

‘When they discovered what would become of the tree, the committee, headed up by Cllr Rosie Dawson, suggested it could be made into a sculpture rather than be totally lost.’

The council duly put an announcement on their website asking residents to come up with ideas for what it should be turned into.

The council’s suggestions include a sculpture to represent the town’s famous black swans, Isambard Brunel or something along nautical lines – although people can submit their own ideas.

Mayor Mawhood said: ‘This is a bit of fun for the community to get involved in and I’m hoping it will result in something unique for Dawlish.’

The council has been surprised by what could be described as a tree-mendous response.

Angie said: ‘We’ve had more than 100 submissions so far, and polling closes on February 15, so we’re hoping for even more.’

Funding for the carving work has already seen spurt of growth. The town council has earmarked £2,000 to pay for any sculpting work, and town councillor Martin Wrigley, who is also a county councillor, has given £1,000 from his Locality Fund for the project.

When polls close the council’s civic amenities committee will discuss the results and make a decision at their next meeting in March.

If you want to submit your own suggestion, go to the town council website www.dawlish.gov.uk and follow the links.