The Walsall Council in the UK's West Midlands has been criticized by residents for installing a skinny Christmas tree in Willenhall's town square.
Many residents said the 20-foot (6-meter) tree lacked any decorations despite its enormous height.
75-year-old resident Patricia Walton said the Christmas tree was "absolutely pathetic," and the trees across the council were getting worse and getting smaller. Walton also said that the council did not even bother allowing people to decorate the tree, and its long, slender look was more of a "beanstalk" than a tree.
Meanwhile, Darren Rowe, 25, another resident of Willenhall, also expressed his disappointment with this year's Christmas tree, calling it "a bit of a joke" that does not exude the Christmas spirit.
Walsall Council Responds
In league with public complaints, Walsall Councilor Simran Cheema told local media that the skinny tree was a "shadow" of the one displayed last year.
Cheema said that her biggest disappointment and frustration with the council was that the trees were bigger in previous years.
"It's a bit of a disappointment really, people were expecting better and we've had better in previous years," she added. "The Christmas Grinch has taken our festive feeling."
However, Walsall Council defended the installation, saying they were using "more sustainable" firs for this year's Christmas tree.
Deputy council leader Adrian Andrew said that they have replaced the majority of cut Christmas trees with "planted trees which are [a] more sustainable option."
He added that the council had made every effort to provide comparable-sized trees and that the illumination was consistent with previous years.
