Drama after branch crashes to pavement

WORK to clear debris from a residential road was ongoing today after a huge section of a cedar tree fell crashed on to a pavement.

Ipswich Borough Council's arborists Mark Smith and Barry Rumbell were called to Gorsehayes, Ipswich, at around 6pm yesterday after reports that a chunk of the tree, which is in a private garden but has several branches overhanging the footpath, had literally snapped off.

It is believed the owner of the tree heard a loud noise and when he came out to the public footpath to see the damage, another limb of the tree came crashing down, which he narrowly avoided.

Mr Rumbell said the sudden fall of part of the tree was probably due to a phenomenon called the summer branch drop, which happens when a mature or over-mature tree is under stress.

Tree experts claim that no one has yet come up with a way of predicting when a mature tree will shed a branch to reduce the amount of stem and number of leaves that need water.

A summer branch drop can occur even if the wood is not decayed.

Mr Smith added: “It could also to do with all the rain we have had this summer because there has been so much growth so this is its way of lightening its load and getting rid of excess wood.”

The council used a chainsaw to cut the section into chunks, which were then deposited by the side of the footpath so they were out of the way.

The owner, who did not want to be named, was due to contact a private contractor to remove the debris completely.

Do you know if this has happened elsewhere in the town? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.