Falling tree crashes into car and van

RESIDENTS had a lucky escape when a large tree came crashing down on a street in bad weather.

It snapped off near its base and hit two vehicles in Stephenson Street, Failsworth, at 9pm on Saturday.

One car was left with a cracked windscreen, several dents and a broken wing mirror, while a van was also scratched.

Resident Valerie Pickford said: “You can see where it has snapped off at the trunk and crashed down with a bang on my brother’s car and has scratched the next door neighbour’s van.

“The car’s still drivable but you wonder at the damage it’s done to the engine. We’re just waiting for the insurers to come and see to it.

“It was about a foot away from my house. The weather was a bit windy but we think it came down because it was top heavy.

“It did not come down from the roots but broke off. The stump is really thick. If the tree had come up from the roots it would have hit my house.”

The fire service was contacted, but can only help if someone is trapped, so the police arranged for the council to deal with the stricken tree the following morning.

The trees are on private land that the firm Ferranti’s, which planted them, used to own. Residents are now seeking to contact the present owners to get the trees trimmed.

Mrs Pickford added: “It took four-and-a-half hours to clean up but everything is all right now.

“We need these trees trimming as there’s another one that’s leaning outside my house. We think there’s two of them that need cutting.”