FIREFIGHTERS have spoken about the tough task they had after a road shut for four hours following the collapse of a tree.

Powers Hall End in Witham was brought to a standstill when a large tree collapsed onto the road.

Power lines on the street were knocked out by the fallen tree which landed on top of a parked car and a house..

Two Essex County Fire and Rescue Service teams from Witham were called to the scene at around 9.17pm on Tuesday, October 19.

Emergency workers worked round the clock to clear the tree and the road was made safe by 1.38am.

However, drivers were confronted by the impassable obstacle for more than four hours.

Some witnesses claim work was even continuing at 2.50am.

Now a firefighter called to the scene has revealed exactly what the teams got up to during the dramatic incident.

On-call firefighters from Witham worked with the electricity board to help restore power to houses.

Firefighter Nicola Roe from Witham Fire Station added: “Our first priority was to isolate the power as the tree had fallen onto the power line and was leaning against a house.

“We then worked to cut branches from the tree to release the cable and ensure the residents had their power back as soon as possible.

"Due to the tree blocking their entry door to their property, we were able to clear parts of the tree using our tools to clear this access to ensure the occupants could evacuate their house from both the front and the back in the event of a further emergency.”