This is the dangerous tree which closed a main road in Cornwall following damage from Storm Etienne.
Tree surgeons were called in after the mature beech tree was damaged by another falling tree.
With little daylight left, they feared the tree could topple at any moment. The A39 was closed at Perranarworthal, between Truro and Penryn.
Called to take care of the troublesome tree were Eco Active Arborists, which wrote on its Facebook page: “Had a call out this afternoon to attend a very dangerous beech tree adjacent to the A39. A large neighbouring beech blew over in the gales yesterday and snagged this particular tree on its way down.
“This caused three large vertical fracture splits on the main stem. With two hours of day light left, dismantling the tree was not an option so the call was made to close the road and fell it.
“We installed two ratchet straps above the cuts and one below to support the compromised stem whilst cutting. The tree was popping and moving as soon as the saw started boring for the sink. It came down as safely as possible and the highway was back open and running before dark.
“You can see the extensive decay in trunk and with little holding wood left it's clear how the tree fractured so easily. Got to be one of the scariest fells I have done to date and, as always, the pictures never do it justice.”
