A WOMAN whose house was badly damaged by a falling tree in last week's rain and gales has told how she and her husband escaped serious injury by just inches.

Margaret Owen-Taylor was enjoying a bedtime drink in the early hours of December 13 when the 50ft tree came down, splitting electrical cables and telephone lines before coming to rest on the roof of her Birlingham home.

She said: "I was making a cup of Horlicks at about 1.15am and I could hear the tree creaking but I never thought it would fall over.

"I had just finished my drink in bed and put the cup down when there was an almighty crash.

"My husband was asleep and woke when I jumped out of bed. It was quite frightening.

"We both came outside to see the damage and realised how lucky we had been.

"There was no electricity and no telephone but just one pane of glass belonging to a lady further up the row had broken.

"The main part of the tree itself didn't actually hit the house but the branches did and pulled tiles off so the house needs reroofing but we were really lucky.

"It only needed to be a foot longer and it would have had the corner off where our bedroom is. It was quite shocking."

She and her husband were able to live in their camper van for a couple of days while the chimney was made safe and tiles put back on.

They are now back in their home.