Officials say they have had to cut down a Chinese banyan outside Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station because it was at risk of collapsing.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department said on Tuesday that the banyan, which was on the Register of Old and Valuable Trees, had posed a danger to public safety.

It had advanced wood decay and cavities in its trunk and one of its limbs, the department said.

It added that the tree had been inspected regularly, but its condition deteriorated.

In light of the tree's demise, a weeping fig will be planted on the nearby Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard.