A CCTV camera which has been fastened to a tree said to have been planted by Charlotte Bronte needs ditching because it “stands out like a sore thumb”, says a museum visitor.

Justin Ponter thinks the equipment, in the grounds of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, looks ugly and plans to put his concerns to English Heritage. His complaints have already sparked an investigation by the Bronte Society.

Mr Ponter, of Sun Street, Haworth, spotted the camera attached to a tree in the parsonage’s garden last week.

He said he was amazed that such an intrusive camera had been given planning permission in such a historic area.

“This is a Cypress-pine, which is one of a pair said to have been planted by Charlotte Bronte and her husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls, as part of their wedding celebrations in the summer of 1854,” he said.

The CCTV system comprises of a cable running up the tree trunk, connected to an electrical box and the camera, which is trained on the parsonage museum’s main entrance.

“It stands out like a sore thumb, and this is right outside a grade one listed building in a historic area,” said Mr Ponter.

“If this really is the tree that Charlotte planted with her husband then there’s no way that camera should stay there.”

A spokesman for the Bronte Society said: “We take seriously any concerns made to us about such matters. We will be carrying out our own investigations.”