diff --git a/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm b/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
index 3fa982a..2ea390a 100644
--- a/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
+++ b/lib/Git/IssueManager.pm
@@ -440,5 +440,231 @@ sub list
   return @ret;
 }
 
+=method delete
+
+delete the issue with the given id
+
+=cut
+sub delete
+{
+  my $self = shift;
+  my $id = shift;
+
+  die("no id given") unless defined($id);
+
+  $id=~/^[A-Z]+-(.*)$/;
+  my $hash=$1;
+
+  my $found=0;
+  my $index=0;
+
+  my @root        = $self->repository->getTree("issues");
+  # first search for the id
+  my @open        = $self->repository->getTree("issues","open/");
+  for my $i (@open)
+  {
+    if (substr($i->{ref},0,8) eq $hash)
+    {
+      $found=1;
+      last;
+    }
+    $index++;
+  }
+  if ($found)
+  {
+    splice @open,$index,1;
+  }
+
+  $index=0;
+  my @assigned    = $self->repository->getTree("issues","assigned/");
+  if (!$found)
+  {
+    for my $i (@assigned)
+    {
+      if (substr($i->{ref},0,8) eq $hash)
+      {
+        $found=1;
+        last;
+      }
+      $index++;
+    }
+    if ($found)
+    {
+      splice @assigned,$index,1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  $index=0;
+  my @inprogress  = $self->repository->getTree("issues","inprogress");
+  if (!$found)
+  {
+    for my $i (@inprogress)
+    {
+      if (substr($i->{ref},0,8) eq $hash)
+      {
+        $found=1;
+        last;
+      }
+      $index++;
+    }
+    if ($found)
+    {
+      splice @inprogress,$index,1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  $index=0;
+  my @closed      = $self->repository->getTree("issues","closed/");
+  if (!$found)
+  {
+    for my $i (@closed)
+    {
+      if (substr($i->{ref},0,8) eq $hash)
+      {
+        $found=1;
+        last;
+      }
+      $index++;
+    }
+    if ($found)
+    {
+      splice @closed,$index,1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  $self->recreate(\@root);
+  $self->recreate(\@open);
+  $self->recreate(\@closed);
+  $self->recreate(\@assigned);
+  $self->recreate(\@inprogress);
+
+  # now recreate tree structure
+  my $openhash      = $self->repository->createTree(\@open);
+  my $closedhash    = $self->repository->createTree(\@closed);
+  my $assignedhash  = $self->repository->createTree(\@assigned);
+  my $inprogresshash= $self->repository->createTree(\@inprogress);
+
+  my $openfound=0;
+  my $closedfound=0;
+  my $assignedfound=0;
+  my $inprogressfound=0;
+  # now recreate the root tree
+  my @fordelete;
+  my $i=0;
+  for my $r (@root)
+  {
+    if ($r->{name} eq "open")
+    {
+      if (defined($openhash) && length($openhash)==40)
+      {
+        $r->{ref}=$openhash;
+        $openfound=1;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        push(@fordelete, $i);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if ($r->{name} eq "closed")
+    {
+      if (defined($closedhash) && length($closedhash)==40)
+      {
+        $r->{ref}=$closedhash;
+        $closedfound=1;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        push(@fordelete, $i);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if ($r->{name} eq "assigned")
+    {
+      if (defined($assignedhash) && length($assignedhash)==40)
+      {
+        $r->{ref}=$assignedhash;
+        $assignedfound=1;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        push(@fordelete, $i);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if ($r->{name} eq "inprogess")
+    {
+      if (defined($inprogresshash) && length($inprogresshash)==40)
+      {
+        $r->{ref}=$inprogresshash;
+        $inprogressfound=1;
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        push(@fordelete, $i);
+      }
+    }
+
+    $i++;
+  }
+
+  for my $d (@fordelete)
+  {
+    splice @root, $d, 1;
+  }
+
+  if (!$openfound && defined($openhash))
+  {
+    print "adding open " . $openhash . "\n";
+    my $t = {
+      path => "open",
+      ref  => $openhash,
+      type => "tree",
+      mode => "040000"
+    };
+    push(@root, $t);
+  }
+
+  if (!$closedfound && defined($closedhash))
+  {
+    my $t = {
+      path => "closed",
+      ref  => $closedhash,
+      type => "tree",
+      mode => "040000"
+    };
+    push(@root, $t);
+  }
+
+  if (!$assignedfound && defined($assignedhash))
+  {
+    my $t = {
+      path => "assigned",
+      ref  => $assignedhash,
+      type => "tree",
+      mode => "040000"
+    };
+    push(@root, $t);
+  }
+
+  if (!$inprogressfound && defined($inprogresshash))
+  {
+    my $t = {
+      path => "inprogress",
+      ref  => $inprogresshash,
+      type => "tree",
+      mode => "040000"
+    };
+    push(@root, $t);
+  }
+
+  my $roothash = $self->repository->createTree(\@root);
+
+  # commit the issue
+  my $commit=$self->repository->createTreeCommit($roothash,$self->repository->getBranchRef("heads/issues") || "start", "RM: " . $id);
+
+  #now update branch refs/heads/issues
+  $self->repository->updateRef("refs/heads/issues",$commit);
+}
 
 1;