Storm Ciarán: Tree falls on Bognor Regis house as Littlehampton homeowners have lucky escape

West Sussex fire crews have been working to safely remove the tree from the roof of a house in The Causeway, Pagham.

A spokesperson for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said: "At 8.35am we responded to a dangerous structure at The Causeway in Pagham.

"Joint Fire Control mobilised one fire engine from Bognor Regis and our Technical Rescue Unit to the scene.

"Upon arrival firefighters found that one large tree had fallen on to a house.

"Crews worked with partners from Arun District Council's building control team to stabilise the unsafe structure, before leaving the scene at around 1.30pm.”

Elsewhere in West Sussex, homeowners in Littlehampton had a lucky escape when a large tree fell outside brushing the side of the property after landing on a fence.

Shaun Hill, who lives in a neighbouring house on Harebell Close, near Brookfields Park, spoke of the moment a loud thud woke him up in the early hours of the morning.

"They are high trees and one had come down, literally just missing my neighbours’ house,” Shaun said.

"It hit the fence but luckily didn’t land on the roof. People are outside clearing it now. It freaked us out as it came out of nowhere, it’s not the sort of thing you expect.

"It was proper gusting and howling at the time. You could hear it all night.

"The council were out first thing this morning. They got some lads out to cut the tree away and clear the pathway. They said they had several jobs around the area.”

Arun District Council confirmed it sent a team to the scene.

A spokesperson said: “Our teams have been busy today across the district dealing with the consequences of Storm Ciarán. We can confirm that officers have helped deal with fallen trees.

"We know that any storm disruption can be very concerning for residents so are pleased to be there to help and glad that nobody was hurt in any incidents.”