Worthing granddad suffers head injury after being hit by falling tree

According to his wife, Claire Hughes, 53-year-old Wayne was delivering a birthday cake to his granddaughter in Roedean Road this afternoon (November 2) and stepped out of his car, leaving Claire and their three children inside.

The tree then uprooted, said Claire, but Wayne fortunately noticed at the last second and almost moved out of the way. He has been left with head and neck injuries, requiring treatment in A&E.

"God forbid if an elderly person or person with a pram was walking past," said Claire, who added Wayne had only got 10ft from the vehicle.

"Luckily myself and children were in the car. We're all very shaken up, it was scary to watch - especially for our three children in the car," she said.

She said a paving stone had recently been replaced with tarmac after work was carried out around the tree, and pictures show it was from there that the tree appears to have lost support.

The fallen giant is still blocking the pavement, Claire added.

The south coast has been battered by strong winds today, with trees uprooted across the county.

Firefighters worked in Shakespeare Road in Worthing to remove a fallen tree from a car.