Trees came down across North Herts and Stevenage as strong winds lashed the area on Wednesday night.

The Comet: A big tree came down in high winds between Woodside and Harrison Court missing the building by inches. Picture: Danny LooA big tree came down in high winds between Woodside and Harrison Court missing the building by inches. Picture: Danny Loo (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2017)

Nicholas Brackin, 75, was awoken at 5am on Thursday when a tree came crashing down inches from his home in Hitchin.

He told the Comet: “It came down with a huge crash. It’s missed us by about a foot.

The Comet: A big tree came down in high winds between Woodside and Harrison Court missing the building by inches. Picture: Danny LooA big tree came down in high winds between Woodside and Harrison Court missing the building by inches. Picture: Danny Loo (Image: Danny Loo Photography 2017)

“We’ve been telling North Herts District Council about this tree for about five years, saying it’s rotten.

“Fortunately nobody’s been hurt, and the only real damage is to our fence.”

The Comet: A downed tree on a car in Hitchin's Queenswood Drive. Picture: Alan MillardA downed tree on a car in Hitchin's Queenswood Drive. Picture: Alan Millard (Image: Archant)

The tree formerly stood near the south-east corner of the district council-run Woodside car park off Walsworth Road, and came down next to the retirement flats in neighbouring Harrison Close.

District council environment portfolio holder Councillor Michael Weeks told the Comet that officers had been out in response to concerns last year, but had inadvertently checked the wrong trees.

He said: “The council was contacted by a member of the public in April 2017 who reported a potential issue with a tree in what they referred to as Woodside car park, near Harrison Court in Hitchin.

“A council officer inspected the trees in Woodside car park, the main public car park, adjacent to Harrison Court. The trees were confirmed as safe and no further work was necessary.

“However, it has now come to light that the tree the member of public was referring to was actually in the small car park for Woodside hall and not the main public car park that was inspected. It was this tree that fell in the high winds.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. We have removed the tree and we are working with the residents to repair the fence at the site.”

Other places where trees fell include Queenswood Drive in Hitchin – where a tree broke and crashed down onto the bonnet of a blue Vauxhall – and Mobbsbury Way in Stevenage.