A Dawlish cab firm owner has spoken of his relief after learning that no one was hurt after a falling tree ended up on top of one of his vehicles. John Partridge, of Dawlish Taxis, said the seven-seat W-reg Ford Galaxy had been parked outside the town's hospital on Monday morning, when a mature double-trunked tree unexpectedly toppled over. On the way down, the tree became tangled in overhead power cables and threatened to bring them down with it. However, the taxi was in just the right place to halt the tree mid-fall, leaving the power cables intact but the tree hanging over the road. Concerned for the safety of drivers and passers by Mr Partridge immediately dialled 999 and engineers at Teignbridge Council. 'They arrived on the scene pretty quickly and soon put things into action,' he said, impressed with the brief response time. 'Luckily no one was in the car at the time and I'm just pleased that no one was hurt.' Barton Terrace was closed to traffic for a short time while engineers from Western Power Distribution worked with chainsaws to remove branches from the tree and free the power lines. Sharon Cross, for the company, said that despite the emergency operation the power supply had been maintained throughout. Her company's tree contractors assisted Teignbridge in moving damaged branches. Mr Partridge said the eight-year-old car did not appear to be too badly damaged.
