A COUPLE had a narrow escape after a huge tree crashed through the roof of their home in Healing – while both were out at work.
Glenn Thow, 49, and his partner Kerry Smith were both out of the house when gale force winds saw the tree fall onto their house in Ivy Farm Court, at around midday on Thursday.
Glenn had extra reason to breathe a sigh of relief, as he normally works from home. The couple's two dogs, Bailey and Buddy, were also lucky to escape without injury, as they were both in the conservatory which had its roof pierced by the tree.
The wooden giant went straight through the top of the house and into the attic, with a branch also crushing part of the conservatory roof and garage roof.
Specialist tree firm DC Arborist, of Louth, was on the scene yesterday carrying out the delicate job of lifting the tree without damaging the rest of the house.
"It's obviously awful to see but in a way we are relieved, because it could have been so much worse," said Glenn, who runs Grimsby IT firm LCS Group.
"I normally work from home but I happened to be in the office on the day, it could also have happened when we were both in bed as the tree came right down above the bedroom.
"And the dogs were in the conservatory and could also have been injured. Both were really shaken.
"I had some suspicions the tree might fall one day as it did really sway in the wind, so we always had that bit of worry. We actually had a tree come down on the house five years ago in high winds too, but that only caused minor damage.
"The tree that came down on Thursday was under a preservation order and we had to get permission from the council to get rid of it – but I suppose there is no choice now!"
Daniel Cobley, of DC Arborist, said it would be a careful process for his specialist team to remove the tree.
"Just to get it off the house will take two days at least as you have to work slowly to try to minimise the damage," he said.
"We will be gently whittling down the tree so we are able to drag it off the roof, but it will be a slow job because there is nothing to anchor yourself to.
"The base of the tree is partially rotten and it was towards the end of its life, but the wind has obviously finished it off."
