SHOCKED residents say it is "incredible" no people or property were hit when a condemned tree crashed down across a road.

The 70ft pine in Nightingale Crescent, Harmans Water, was scheduled to be cut down with two other trees on Monday but, just days before, on Wednesday last week, it suddenly fell down across a nearby road.

Richard Carlin, who lives in Nightingale Crescent, said: "I park my car there every night. It's unbelievable. You think how many kids are walking about - it's just lucky it wasn't during the school run." Another resident, Rob Green, added: "It was lucky there was no one coming across the road when it happened. It's incredible nothing was hit." The pine was growing on a grass verge outside homes in Nightingale Crescent, and fell across nearby Firlands Road on Wednesday last week, taking a chestnut tree branch with it.

It had been sprayed with a "X" marking it as condemned, and a Bracknell Forest Council sign, dated April 30, on a nearby tree explained several marked trees "require removal for safety reasons" and were scheduled for felling this week.

Jan Polnik, principal tree officer at the council, said: "Several weeks ago, the council responded to residents' concerns about low branches along Nightingale Crescent, Harmans Water. Although the three trees were scheduled for removal at the beginning of this week, unfortunately the unusual windy weather conditions caused the damaged structural soundness of its root system to weaken enough for it to fall over before our contractor could get to it. On Monday, the two remaining trees identified in Nightingale Crescent were felled. The council is currently completing a full survey of council owned trees in the borough. Once complete, the survey will help to create a routine inspection and maintenance plan for the trees in the borough." The fallen tree has been removed.