Eyewitnesses have spoken of their relief that nobody has been hurt after a huge tree came down in Stevenage Old Town this afternoon – cracking roof tiles and blocking the road.
Comet reporter Layth Yousif was just about to head down Drapers Way when he heard an ‘immense crack’, before watching the tree topple over.
Fellow eyewitness Andrew Yates told him at the scene: “I had just come out of the store and gone back to my car on the other side of the road.
“I had just put my shopping in the car when I heard a crack and looked up and saw it fall. Luckily no-one was hurt.
“The first thing I did was to make sure no-one was underneath it. Someone called over from the other side of the tree and asked if it was all clear. If someone was underneath it they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Police are currently at the scene and have shut the road – which links Stevenage High Street and Primett Road.
Another bystander said: “That could have killed someone. I saw the pavement rise up and it just toppled over.”
A woman added: “My partner is a tree surgeon and he actually got asked to give a quote.”
Hertfordshire County Council which is responsible for the road sent in tree surgeons to clear the tree. The road remains closed while the work is carried out.
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