JMH

No I took their advice, they said chopping the top off may (not will) persuade it to re-shape. But it got worse, possibly encouraged by us removing the conifer next to it which then gave it a lot more sun. As to the guys in question they've done other work for us and all been excellent. Anyway I'm straying off.. thanks all for the advice here, I will try one (just one!) go at wiring it but on balance I suspect its days are severely numbered. The garden will not look bare without it.

One issue is it gets ever closer to the house windows. If it were 20 foot further away then I would let it be. I did wonder about that. Anyway the fam want me to try (without them actually saying what they want me to try!) before just removing it... so worth a go.

We have this rogue in the garden that I have been trying to get removed but the rest of family want to keep it. Over the years two tree surgeons have chopped the top off in the hope it will try to get back into shape but it continues ever outwards. Personally I'd remove it but is there anything that can be done to shape it or otherwise persuade it not to become an inverted pyramid? It's essentially empty, there is no green at all behind the outer layer of green.