A MABE company was tasked with taking down a dangerous beech tree next to the A39 near Perranarworthal yesterday.

The road was closed for several hours while Eco Active Arborists dealt with it in the afternoon after being sub-contracted by Cornwall Council-owned CORMAC, who had flagged the tree as dangerous. 

A neighbouring beech which had fallen and blocked the road in high winds on Sunday evening, caused three large vertical fracture splits to the second tree.

Tom Downes, of Eco Active Arborists, told the Packet: "It's got to be one of the scariest fells I have done to date and as always, the pictures never do it justice.

"Firstly where the previous tree fell and snagged it, there were hanging branches within the crown above where I was making my cuts, that could have potentially fallen towards me when felling.

"Then the vertical splits present from the collision of the other tree compromise the stem significantly and make the timber characteristics unpredictable when cutting.

"The chances of barber chairing, twisting of further fractures, are far greater.

"Lastly it was uncertain how bad the extent of decay was. As this tree had very little holding wood left for a hinge it makes it far more difficult the fell with any control."

The firm installed two ratchet straps above the cuts and one below to support the compromised stem whilst cutting.

It came down as safely as possible and the highway was back open and running before dark.

The pictures show extensive decay in the trunk and with little holding wood left, it is clear how the tree fractured so easily.