Mother left homeless after tree smashed into her flat during Storm Bronagh

Sandra Coomber, 38, had a tree crash through the ceiling in her flat in Bournemouth, Dorset, during storm Bronagh

A mother has been left homeless after a tree she spent 10 years warning the council about crashed through her ceiling during Storm Bronagh.

Sandra Coomber, 38, was with her 15-year-old daughter when the 25ft elver tree was blown over during wind speeds of up to 75mph.

It smashed through the roof of the living room of the flat in Bournemouth, Dorset, while the pair were in the next room.

The tree left a gaping hole in the ceiling with roof tiles, branches and leaves strewn on the floor.

Ms Coomber, a sales assistant, said: ‘We were in the other room and thinking about going to bed and then there was the loudest bang I have ever heard.

‘We came out of the room and there was a big cloud of dust coming out from the living room door.

‘I turned the light on and there was just a giant hole in the ceiling, with branches, leaves and roof tiles all over the room.

The family were evacuated while engineers and tree surgeons work to make the building safe again, a process which could take five weeks.

The tree left a gaping hole in the ceiling with roof tiles, branches and leaves strewn on the floor

The tree left a gaping hole in the ceiling with roof tiles, branches and leaves strewn on the floor

Ms Coomber said residents had made numerous complaints about large branches falling off the ‘dead’ tree and hitting the windows over the past 10 years, but their safety concerns had been ignored. 

‘That tree had been dangerous for years. We have lived there for 10 years and it was awful always seeing it swaying in the wind.

‘It was a very tall tree and one side of it was just completely dead.

The building is run by a housing association, Sovereign Housing, who say they will do everything possible to get residents back into their homes as soon as possible. 

Ms Coomber said residents had made numerous complaints about large branches falling off the 'dead' tree and hitting the windows over the past 10 years

Ms Coomber said residents had made numerous complaints about large branches falling off the ‘dead’ tree and hitting the windows over the past 10 years

 ‘We spoke to Sovereign about it and they tried to deal with it. It cuts across several boundaries and no one wanted to take responsibility.

‘Neighbours had made complaints about it as well.’ 

Neighbour Jenna Kovacs says she was in her living room when the tree came crashing down.

 She said: ‘I heard a large noise and looked out my window. The tree was right in front of me.

Ms Coomber was made homeless after she was evacuated and may not be in her home for another five weeks

Ms Coomber was made homeless after she was evacuated and may not be in her home for another five weeks

‘There has never been a tree down before, but people were always worried about this one.’

A spokesman for Sovereign housing association said they had received no ‘official’ complaints about the tree. 

Operations director Stuart Brookes said: ‘We have no record of any official complaints or correspondence concerning the tree which fell onto the home at Ensbury Court.

‘However, we were asked to check whether we owned the tree last summer, by a resident who lived in the area. We advised them that we did not own it.’

But Ms Coomber said she reported the tree at least twice herself to the housing association, the first time being eight years ago when a branch came off and hit her window.

Other residents of the accommodation block and surrounding homes have also reported the tree, she claims.

Ms Coomber said: ‘I’ve lived in that flat for 10 years and I first reported the tree to the housing association over the phone eight years ago.

‘I’ve reported it twice myself and I know other residents of the flat and people in other houses have reported it too.

‘I understand there is some dispute over whose tree it was as it is across a couple of boundaries so everyone has said it’s someone else’s responsibility and it’s never been fixed.

‘So many people have complained about the tree, so many big bits of the tree have come down before.

‘It’s been quite scary every time wondering how much will come down the next time there’s a strong wind.

‘But I never imagined the whole tree would come through my roof.’

A spokesman for Bournemouth Borough Council said it was not their tree and advised contacting the housing association.

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