NORWAY’S gift to London, the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, has been lit up, after undergoing cosmetic surgery.

Severed branches were reattached to the trunk after it was erected last week in an attempt to stave off taunts on social media.

For years the tree has been criticised for its wilted look after it did not always manage to maintain a healthy look after being chopped down and transported from a clean-air Oslo forest to the heart of polluted central London.

This year’s tree was 70 years old when it was chopped down.

Dan Barker, who lives in Covent Garden, explained the process on X after posting photos of the “hair transplant”.

He said: “They cut branches off lower down the tree and shape those. They then use a cherry-picker to manoeuvre around to the bare spots. They hammer those branches in to even it out.”

Cllr McAllister with Oslo mayor Anne Lindboe

Westminster City Council confirmed branches were removed from the tree in Norway for transportation, before being reattached as the tree was being erected in Trafalgar Square.

The city of Oslo has sent a tree to London every year as a token of gratitude for British support for Norway during the Second World War.

This year the 19-metre tree was felled in Nordmarka, a densely wooded forest to the north of the Norway capital.

The tree was driven 100 kilometres to the port of Brevik where it was loaded into a ship and then into a lorry.

The lights were switched on at a ceremony last Thursday.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster Cllr Patricia McAllister said: “This year’s tree is spectacular. Everyone has done such a brilliant job from making sure it arrived safely and looked its best.

“I’d like to encourage everyone to come and see it and celebrate this wonderful gift from the people of Norway.”