Mum's fears after branch falls into garden

Gemma Levick (25), of Wortley Road, Kimberworth, has called on Rotherham Borough Council to remove the two-storey-high ash tree from Bradgate Park, which backs on to her garden.

She said she feared falling branches could hurt her, her two-year-old son Corey, or her eight-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Mikey.

“I’ve been reporting it to the council for months and I know my next-door neighbour has,” she said.

“The other week when it was windy a branch snapped and fell into my garden.

“If my two-year-old had been playing under this branch it could have really hurt him or killed him.

“If it was me under that tree I could have been knocked out and lying there for a long time before anyone found me.”

Gemma said a council officer had visited her house and told her the tree could not be cut down because it was healthy.

“He just told me to watch myself wherever I go,” she said.

“He’s not going to be able to chop it down.

“It’s absolutely disgusting because it’s a garden and I’ve got a two-year-old.”

Gemma said she would soon want Corey to be able to play in the garden unaccompanied.

“It’s a garden and I shouldn’t have to be watching myself or my child - it’s my garden at the end of the day,” she said.

“Corey is two years old and I can restrict him going out. But when he grows up he’s going to want to go out in the rain, wind or snow, because he’s a child.”

Gemma said another branch was hanging off the tree and she feared it could fall off as well.

“If that falls on somebody in the park, that’s going to end up killing somebody,” she said.

“There’s a lot hanging over into my garden.”

Rotherham Council's Leisure and Green Spaces manager, Mr Phil Gill, confirmed that the council was aware of Ms Levick's concerns.

He said: “The council will carry out works to trees where a health and safety issue has been identified.

"On October 9, we inspected the ash tree in Bradgate Park and informed the tenant that the tree didn’t require any work at that time.

"We inspected the tree again following severe weather on October 15.

"On that occasion, we instructed our tree contractors to remove a branch that had fallen into the garden and to remove a broken branch from the tree.

"We again informed the tenant that no further work was required.

"All trees can lose branches during storm conditions and our inspections on both occasions have found nothing to suggest the need for any further work at this time."