A PENSIONER says she is living in fear of the possibility of a 100-foot tree crashing through the roof of her bungalow.

Diane Marshall of Capel Road, Rayne, is so worried she stays with her sister near Chelmsford whenever high winds are forecast in case a leylandii tree, which appears to be dying, hits her home.

The 74-year-old's said she has always been concerned by the height of the tree but her worries intensified last October when heavy snowfall brought part of it down in her neighbour's garden.

She claims that since then it appears to have begun to lean towards her home leaving her worried that if it eventually topples, it will hit her bungalow.

Mrs Marshall says she has been locked in a battle with the farm where the leylandii is rooted in a bid to get the dangerous foliage removed.

She said: "I've been in touch with the farmer several times over the past year but nothing has been done.

"You can see it's dying because it's brown on the outside and it's starting to go brown on the inside too.

"I'm petrified of that tree, when it's supposed to be windy, as it was last week, I go and stay with my sister because it's leaning towards my bungalow.

"If it's going to come down, it'll come down in my garden and on my house - I just don't think it's fair that I should have to live in fear in my own home."

Mrs Marshall says she has not slept in her bedroom at the back of her house for several years for fear of the tree and instead uses a spare room at the front to sleep instead.

A spokesman for Greenfields Community Housing said: "We want all our residents to feel safe and secure in their homes.

"Now that we’re aware of this case, we’ve contacted a tree surgeon at Braintree District Council, who will inspect the tree and contact the landowner if they feel there is a duty of care.

"We have also contacted our resident to let them know what’s happening."