An Ashby couple had a lucky escape when a 200-year-old tree came crashing through their roof during Storm Franklin.

Former teachers Gowan and Barbara Wharrier, both aged 79, were shocked when the tree fell on to their 400-year-old thatched cottage in Hill Street on Monday morning at around 11am.

They were amazed to see the roof of the house they had lived in for 43 years cave in without warning.

But it could have been so much worse, as they were both upstairs just five minutes earlier.

The photos show the extent of the damage caused - and Hill Street was cordoned off to traffic and pedestrians while the fire service worked to make the area safe and cut away the branches of the fallen tree which was at the rear of the property.

But there were also fears that another tree, next to the one that came down, could also fall.

As a result, some homes in Tower Gardens had to be evacuated.

But Gowan told Ashby Nub News what happened.

He said: "We were both upstairs in the study, working on a hospital appointment.

"Then Barbara went downstairs to make a cup of coffee and gave me a call about three or four minutes later.

"I walked downstairs, we sat down to drink the coffee - then there was an almighty bang and the tree was down through the house.

"We'd been there five minutes earlier, so it was close in that respect.

"We wondered what was going on. At first, we thought it was an accident out in the road.

"It took about 30 second to realise it wasn't outside, but the racket was coming from inside.

"Stuff was still dropping and we could see sky through the roof."

Stunned by what they saw, Gowan reached for the telephone to get help,

He continued: "I called 999, they said: "What service do you require?", I replied: "I haven't a clue".

At was at this point that Gowan was able to confirm that nobody had been injured, and it was the police and fire brigade who were needed.

Gowan added: "I contacted the insurance company, and the thatcher after that."

In fact, the roof had only been re-thatched last year on the home the couple had shared for the past 43 years.

Gowan said: "Things needed to get into motion, to get things sorted out.

"We'd thought we'd got through the worst of the storms, so we weren't particularly paying attention to the weather.

"It was supposed to be improving.

"The cottage itself dates back to around the 1640s, mid-17th century, it's the last thatched cottage in Ashby.

"It was re-thatched only last year, five months ago it was completed.

"The work took about two and half months. But you have to get on with these things don't you."