STORM Ophelia caused a tree to come crashing down onto St John’s Church, Hartford yesterday.

The tail-end of the storm caused a number of trees across the borough to fall.

In Hartford, a large tree next to the church was brought down around 4pm, causing structural damage to roof.

Mike Smith, St John’s Church Vicar, said it could have been ‘considerably worse’.

He told the Guardian: “We’re actually quite thankful. We had a group of preschool children in the church that morning, they were walking down that path just a few hours before it happened.

“We also had workers in the bell tower so if it had fallen into the scaffolding it could have been really awful. It could have been so much worse.

“And if it fell the other way it could have landed on a car or a house. So we are very thankful because it could have been considerably worse.”

Mike had been working from home when the incident happened.

He said: “My eldest daughter was walking home from school and when she got home she told me a tree had fallen on the church. I didn’t believe her at first.

“I had heard a crash from the Vicarage. I looked up at the window and didn’t see anything so I carried on working. Then my daughter came home and told me a crowd had gathered.”

At this time it is not known how much damage the tree has caused, although roof repairs will certainly need to be carried out.

The tree has not yet been removed.

Mike said: “It is going to take a major job to remove it, there is quite a few tonnes of trees there, and it will have to be moved professionally.”