A couple who previously warned Herts Highways of an unsafe tree outside their home have been forced out of their bedroom after fears it will crash through their wall.

Isabel Reynolds and her husband Mike, of Mile House Lane, have been sleeping on a sofa bed since part of a lime tree tumbled into their garden just over two weeks ago in the St Jude storm high winds.

The pair had initially warned Herts county council in August about the precarious tree when branches began to fall and they were waiting to hear from an arborist around the time the storm hit. In the past fortnight several contractors have inspected the tree and cut parts off but Isabel claims the tree is still unsafe and needs a thorough felling.

In response, Matt Kelley, divisional manager for Ringway said: “We can confirm that our tree surgeons have visited the site on two separate occasions, and have removed any branches they felt to be unsafe.”