Car crashes into Christmas tree in Bury St Edmunds

The tree had been put up on Angel Hill in the morning before it was knocked over

A car crashed into a town's Christmas tree and knocked it over just hours after it was put up.

The 22ft (7m) festive spruce was installed on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Tuesday morning.

But come 15:30 GMT it laid sprawled on the ground after it had been driven into, the Our Bury St Edmunds Business Improvement District (Bid) said.

Mark Cordell, chief executive of the Bid, said it was "frustrating" but "just another challenge".

The spruce was one of two donated to the town by Rougham Estates

Suffolk Police confirmed a Toyota Starlet was involved in the crash and a woman was taken to hospital with a possible hand injury.

The East of England Ambulance Service said the woman was taken to West Suffolk Hospital for further assessment and care.

Mr Cordell said their "best wishes" were with the driver.

He said Rougham Estate, which had donated the tree plus another to the town, was sourcing a replacement and West Suffolk Council will put it up on Thursday.

"It's frustrating and we've got a few things to deal with," he said.

"It presents a challenge but this year has been full of them."

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Mr Cordell said all of the other lights in the town had gone up ahead of the switch-on on 20 November, which coincides with St Edmund's Day that remembers King Edmund, the original patron saint of England.

Bury St Edmunds usually holds its annual Christmas Fayre at the end of November, attracting thousands of people across the week, but this year's event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.