Amsterdam, Nov. 20 (Reuters): Dutch conservationists fought a last-ditch court battle today to save the tree that comforted Anne Frank as she hid from the Nazis, after officials warned the diseased chestnut could topple over.

The city council has ordered the felling of the 150-year-old tree tomorrow because of fears that a fungal disease has spread through most of the trunk, meaning it could crash into surrounding buildings, including Anne Frank’s hiding place.

The Tree Foundation, a group of tree conservationists, said independent stability tests indicated the 27-tonne chestnut was still safe and the city should consider ways to save it.

Brandishing a photo of the tree in full leaf in court, the Tree Foundation’s Edwin Koot asked the city to give the organisation more time to draw up a long-term plan to support the chestnut: “The tree is a symbol of freedom,” he said.

The judge adjourned proceedings so he could see the tree himself before reaching a decision. He said he would rule early tomorrow, when lumberjacks are due to start sawing down the tree.