A motorist had a lucky escape after her car roof was flattened by a large tree branch.

Shirley Neave, 65, from Trunch, was visiting her 85-year-old mother in Hall Lane, North Walsham, yesterday when a section of the Lawson cypress fell on her black Seat Leon in high winds just before 5pm.

The vehicle, her husband's 'pride and joy', was in the car park belonging to Cedar Court owned by Victory Housing Trust.

Just before the accident Mrs Neave had got out of the car with her elderly mother.

She was not happy after learning neighbours had complained to Victory about the tree, which is 14 metres high. One resident confirmed this.

Chief executive of Victory, John Archibald, said the tree was one of thousands fully inspected last year for the housing trust and was 'not identified as a risk'.

He said the trust, which has 10,000 trees on its land across north Norfolk, would reinspect the Lawson cypress and 'act immediately' if there was a risk to safety.

Mr Archibald added: 'We are very concerned that this has happened . Our sympathies go to the car owner.'

No-one was injured after the branch fell but it pulled down what was believed to be BT wires, forcing the road to be blocked off by police for just over three hours.

Victory housing staff, tree experts and BT representatives were also called.

Mrs Neave said she was in shock after seeing the branch on her car roof.

She did not see it come down but heard it from her mother's flat across the road.

Mrs Neave added: 'It was a horrendous bang. We were lucky not to have been in the car at the time.

'I'm not happy with Victory because there have been so many complaints about that tree. It should not be there. The accident wouldn't have happened then, wind or no wind.'

Roger Hopkinson, 73, from Cedar Court, said the accident was a warning sign and the housing trust should do something to reduce the size of the 'ugly tree' which was three storeys high.

He said: 'On another occasion it could be a tragedy. Fortunately this time it wasn't.'

Mr Hopkinson, North Walsham town crier, said concerns about the large tree had been raised by residents with the housing trust several years ago when it used to hold neighbourhood walkabouts.

The town crier added a lot of people walked past the Lawson cypress.

He described the branch that fell on the car as 'the size of a small tree'.

His neighbour heard it come down with a 'crack and bang' when he left his motorbike outside his flat.

No other vehicles were damaged.