A HOMEOWNER who begged council officers for years to be allowed to chop down a protected tree, returned from holiday to find that it had come crashing down in his garden.

Ken Brine, of Wallers Hoppet, Loughton, said he had warned the council repeatedly that the massive oak in his garden was in danger of collapse, but was told it was protected by a Tree Preservation Order, and that he had no right to cut it down.

Nature took its course last Sunday when the tree fell across his garden, miraculously just missing his house and conservatory.

Speaking from Spain, where he was on vacation, Mr Brine said: “It was leaning towards my house but because it was protected the council only allowed me to lop off certain branches.

“Three or four weeks ago I demanded the guy who ran the department come down. I was very, very concerned about it. He said: 'Well looking at it we have got a bit of movement, but we'd still prefer it if you prune it’.

“I said 'Can you say if it'll fall on my house?' and he said 'I couldn't say'.”

The tree collapsed over the fence into next door neighbour Linda McDonald's garden.

She said: “My husband was outside doing some work, he saw it coming down. It made a massive crash. “Our fence is down, but you can mend fences. It's lucky no-one was hurt.”

Neighbour Valerie Manzi said: “It's a miracle no-one was hurt. He's a very keen gardener- if he'd been in there he wouldn't have had the chance to get out the way.”

Mr Brine said he was now consulting with his insurance company adding: “It was lucky I wasn't home. I'd probably be in the garden on a Sunday afternoon.

“When I used to look out of my bedroom I used to think: 'Bloody hell it's going to come straight through my window.'”

A spokesman for Epping Forest District Council said: “The owner asked us to look at it on June 22 and we did look at it that same day. We agreed it needed to come down as a potential failure.

"Verbal permission was given to fell the tree. We understand the owner was exploring options of how to do this but unfortunately it has fallen down before he could do this.”