An emergency locksmith's van had to be rescued by a team of firemen and tree surgeons around 10.20am on Sunday.

A large tree fell over the road, but was propped up at a 45 degree angle by an empty parked van in River Gardens, Carshalton.

The driver of the Securifix van, David Kelly, 34, said: “It was lucky my van was there otherwise it could have gone through the house opposite where there were people sleeping. I don’t normally park my van there but someone else had stolen my spot.”

“The tree had been set alight a few months ago by a stolen BMW which had been burnt out and dumped, so this might have weakened it.”