A BEAUTIFUL Copper Beech tree with purply brown leaves has sadly been scheduled for removal over "public safety" fears.

The tree in Rookery Gardens, Marlow, has been infected Giant polypore (Meripilus giganteus) fungus posing a risk to the public.

In a series of tweets, Buckinghamshire Council explained the fungus can cause uprooting and stem breakage, heightening public safety risks dramatically.

Regular monitoring has been carried out on the Chapel Street landmark and its felling will go ahead.

The local authority reassured that a replacement tree would be planted.

The council's initial felling efforts on November 14, however, met with "unexpected challenges" leading to rescheduling.

The council assures it's cooperating with contractors to resolve the issue promptly.

Copper beech, also known as purple beech, is a cultivated form of common beech (although copper-coloured beech trees are also sometimes found in nature).

It grows to a height of more than 40m. The bark is smooth, thin and grey, often with slight horizontal etchings.

Copper beech doesn’t occur naturally, but is planted in urban and rural areas across the UK as an ornamental tree for its distinctive purple leaves.

According to the Woodland Trust, Beech trees are sometimes susceptible to root rot from a variety of fungal pathogens, including Phytophthora.