The occupants of a town centre home narrowly escaped injury after a huge tree fell on their property as Storm Eunice battered the county.

The tree in Gainsborough Street, Sudbury, fell through a wall opposite and came to rest on the house and live electric cables, but did not cause any structural damage - although it has blocked the road to traffic.

However, wardens from Sudbury Town Council visiting the scene expected the one-way road to be closed at least overnight and were hoping to get a crane they could use to cut up the tree so it could be removed.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gainsborough Road in Sudbury has been closed after a large tree fell on houses and live electricity cables. Picture: Sarah Lucy BrownGainsborough Road in Sudbury has been closed after a large tree fell on houses and live electricity cables. Picture: Sarah Lucy Brown (Image: Archant)

The collapse caused traffic to build up in Gainsborough Street and vehicles will have to divert around Market Hill, Friars Street, Church Street and Cross Street until the road can be reopened.

Jack Berkeley, who works in sales for Wayman and Long Solicitors in Gainsborough Street, said: “I did not see the tree come down. We were just in our office and we came outside after hearing a racket going on and we could see the tree and it had smashed through the wall of somebody’s house.”

He said many people rushed to take photos of the incident, adding that he was aware there were occupants in the house the tree came to rest on.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gainsborough Road in Sudbury has been closed after a large tree fell on houses and live electricity cables. Picture: Sarah Lucy BrownGainsborough Road in Sudbury has been closed after a large tree fell on houses and live electricity cables. Picture: Sarah Lucy Brown (Image: Archant)

Sudbury Mayor Sue Ayres said: “Our wardens and the police are doing the best they can to try and alleviate the problems as best they can.”

She said the situation was a ‘nightmare’ because of the size of the tree which meant that a crane was needed to try and break it down.

However, the crane could only be operated once the winds had died down and currently the weather was not allowing that to happen.

She was aware of other incidents in the Sudbury area, including trees falling and tiles being dislodged from roofs.