A family woke to find a tree had smashed their two cars and pulled down their phone line and roof tiles.

Barry and Sara Day, of Post Office Road, Woodham Mortimer, woke at 1am today to find a 30ft eucalyptus tree had fallen on their BMW and Ford S-Max, knocked off guttering, taken down about 20 roof tiles and hit fence panels.

Barry said: “We heard a really loud crash. I ran downstairs and opened the front door and there were branches, wind and rain.

“I couldn’t get out of the front door."