A huge lime tree in Blackheath smashed through a parked car while the owner was in a nearby shop, prompting concerns it “could have killed someone.”
The car owner, who did not want to be identified, told BBC London her car was parked in Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, when the incident happened.
No one was injured when the tree fell at 7.21am on Wednesday (November 13).
Lewisham Council said that the tree had been suffering from “ground rot” which had not been identifiable prior to it falling.
A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “The last inspection for this lime tree was in October 2023 along with other surrounding trees in Blackheath.
“At this time no work was recommended as the trees had routine maintenance in November 2021 and no major defects were identified.
“We are not aware of any reports of problems with this tree and have been in contact with the owner of the car affected.”
The car owner told the BBC that the tree had fallen "silently" while she was shopping.
She "didn't hear a thing" and said she “couldn't believe” what she saw after coming out.
The woman had contacted Lewisham Council which then sent a team to help remove the tree with specialist equipment, according to the BBC.
Steven, a local resident, also said: "The tree could have killed someone.
“This is a busy area in the morning."
As a result of what happened, all 24 lime trees near Tranquil Vale were checked “carefully yesterday” and Lewisham Council has scheduled another inspection to monitor and reassess further.
A spokesperson for Lewisham Council said: “We understand local concern when a tree falls unexpectedly like this and can confirm that all our street trees in Lewisham are inspected regularly every three years.
“The last inspection for this lime tree was in October 2023 along with other surrounding trees in Blackheath.
“At this time no work was recommended as the trees had routine maintenance in November 2021 and no major defects were identified.
“We are not aware of any reports of problems with this tree and have been in contact with the owner of the car affected.
“A member of our Council Environment team saw that this tree had fallen and took a photo of the situation at 7.27am yesterday.
“He reported this to the relevant Council department so that contractors could be sent to the location.
“The Lewisham Council tree specialists found evidence yesterday within the broken trunk of brown / soft rot within the base and root system.
“This would not have been visible when inspecting the tree and this tree was in full leaf throughout the summer with no evidence of decay or fungus on the outside.
“It is likely that the brown rot has weakened the root system and caused the tree to fall over.
“As a result of what’s happened, all 24 lime trees near Tranquil Vale were checked carefully yesterday and we have scheduled another inspection to monitor and reassess further.”
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