Tree crashes through conservatory during high winds

A family escaped uninjured when a large oak tree fell onto their Rhondda Cynon Taf home.

John and Janine Thomas were at home in Mountain Ash at 09:30 BST on Sunday when the tree destroyed their conservatory and damaged the roof of the house and garage.

The couple say they are unsure who owns the land on which the tree was growing.

The incident happened during wet and windy weather which resulted in damage to property across Wales.

"I was in the bathroom and my grand-daughter was in the lounge and all of a sudden she screamed 'the conservatory's gone, the conservatory's gone', and I rushed down and it had," said Mr Thomas.

"It looks like the roots had rotted away and it's toppled over onto our conservatory which has gone completely."

Mr Thomas said nothing could be salvaged from the room which included a TV and dvd player and toys for his grand-daughter.

Part of the house roof and the garage were also been damaged, along with items in the garden, he said.

"It just missed the main house, if it had fallen on the gable end I don't think it would have been able to hold the weight.

"We have been asking for it to be cut for a number of years, it was a big oak, but it had a tree preservation order on it, and we aren't sure who owns the land it was growing on."

The family is now waiting for their insurance company to come out to assess the damage.

The family's experience was followed by day of problems as several roads were blocked by fallen trees as driving rain and strong winds - up to 60mph - swept across Wales.