A LARGE tree was blown down by strong winds in Orford yesterday, Tuesday, narrowly missing parked cars and houses.

Just before 5pm, the extreme weather managed to uproot the tree, which was on a footpath in Statham Avenue.

Carmel Saunders was driving back to her home and watched the tree fall into her garden just metres away from her.

She recalled: "The storm blew up as we were driving back to our house down Statham Avenue, and as we got a few houses away the tree just uprooted with a big gust and fell backwards onto the footpath, blocking the footpath, and landed across onto our wall and into the front garden.

"My car was parked next to it and missed it by inches. We were lucky."

Warrington Borough Council removed the tree that evening.