Drama as huge tree falls on Chesterfield pensioner’s house

The drama happened at Ian Reynolds’ house on Norfolk Close in the Walton area of the town as ferocious winds battered Derbyshire on Thursday.

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Mr Reynolds was thankfully not injured but he has been left shocked by the freak event.

He told the Derbyshire Times: “I was in bed at around quarter past midnight when I heard an almighty crash.

“A nearby tree had fallen on my bungalow and left a hole in my roof.

“It was an Ash tree and must have been at least 100 feet tall.

“I was in a state of shock – you just don’t expect such a thing to happen.

“I decided to stay in my house until dawn arrived – but then I couldn’t get out of my kitchen door as there were so many branches blocking it outside.

“I had to snap some of the branches in order to get out.”

Mr Reynolds alerted his insurance company about the incident and a local builder promptly attended to fix the hole in his roof.

“I’m so pleased the repair happened so quickly,” said Mr Reynolds.

“After it had been repaired, there was heavy rain.

“My house could have been flooded if the hole hadn’t been repaired so quickly.”

Mr Reynolds said some damage was also caused to his carport and car.

He added: “It was a very worrying experience.

“I was concerned for my little house.

“I’ve lived here for 30 years and nothing like this has happened to me.”

He also wanted to thank everyone – including neighbours – who helped him in the aftermath of the drama.

The past week has seen areas of low pressure bring strong winds and rain across the country.

The Met Office reported gusts of up to 70mph across England on Wednesday and Thursday.

Thankfully, however, the weather looks set to improve next week.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Blustery showers will continue through the weekend with the driest conditions in the east.

“There are early signs that the weather will settle down again by the middle of next week with the chance of high pressure once again becoming dominant.”

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