A HUGE tree fell and crushed a car as heavy winds battered Colchester amid four days of storms.
Wind speeds reached up to 90mph in Essex as gusts caused county-wide power cuts, damage to properties and chaos on the railway lines.
And amid the disruption, one unlucky resident saw their car crushed by a giant tree which succumbed to the violent winds yesterday morning.
The tree covered the pavement and part of the road in Willet Road, Shrub End in an incident which had the potential to have caused a catastrophic outcome.
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Veteran Shrub End councillor Dave Harris said he was helping to deal with storm damage and urged residents to contact him if they need a hand.
“It is really bad out there; looking at this incident, the car is probably a write-off,” said Mr Harris.
“It is a godsend the owner of this car wasn’t sat in it and no person was injured as the tree is over the pavement.
“Material possessions are important but life is more important and I’d encourage everyone to stay safe and take adequate precautions where they can.
“I am now hoping we can get a decent replacement for this tree.”
1.5 tonnes of brickwork removed after storm damage
FIREFIGHTERS had to remove one-and-a-half tonnes of brickwork from a property’s roof after its chimney was damaged.
The large chimney in Maldon Road, Colchester was collateral to the extremely strong Storm Eunice winds which have battered north Essex since Friday.
A fire brigade spokesman said: “This image shows our firefighters working at a house in Maldon Road, Colchester, where a large chimney had been damaged.
“Crews from Colchester and our Urban Search and Rescue Team had to remove 1.5 tonnes of brickwork to make the property safe.
“Our teams have had a busy day again as we support Essex residents and businesses during the bad weather. Crews have attended many incidents across the county.
“They have made dangerous structures and fallen electrical cables safe, dealt with trees and debris which have damaged properties and blocked roads as well as providing advice to our partner agencies and members of the public.”
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