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  January’s storms caused chaos up and down the country, providing an enormous amount of work for members of the Fire and Rescue Service. One particularly spectacular incident took place in Highgate, North London, where eight cars were destroyed by a massive beech tree as it toppled over outside a block of flats. Firefighters had to rescue one workman from his van after the 80ft tree crushed its roof. Insurance experts have estimated the drivers of the eight vehicles, including two BMWs, a Mini and a VW Golf, could face a combined bill in excess of £50,000.The accident happened as the worst winds to hit Britain in 17 years struck, with gusts of up to 80mph recorded in the capital. One witness to the accident in Ridgeway Gardens Hornsey, said: “All the cars looked written off. The tree was growing on the street outside a gated estate, but fell onto residents’ cars in the private car park. It is quite a well-to-do area and there was a lot of commotion.”
A spokesman for Haringey Council said 87 trees in the area fell in the storm. An emergency appeal has been launched to help restore the royal parks devastated by the recent storms. The foundation that runs the parks has warned it is not covered for the £120,000 repair bill after 150 trees were uprooted and greenhouses smashed. In related incident news, firefighters freed two people from their car after it was hit by a falling tree in Old Harlow in Essex. Following the incident, firefighters used hand saws to clear the road.
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