Trees surrounding a Petersfield junction were definitely inspected by experts before the front of a car was damaged by a falling branch.

But Hampshire County Council has agreed to make extra checks around the Bell Hill roundabout with nearby residents insisting the incident could have been avoided.

A branch overhanging the junction fell on the bonnet and windscreen of a passing Mercedes around 10am on Friday, October 23, as Storm Austen left its mark locally.

While the driver was left shaken but unharmed, some locals believe the incident could have been potentially fatal if a pedestrian was involved instead of a vehicle.

A resident who tipped off the Post also said that residents had asked HCC on “numerous occasions” to cut back the trees surrounding the roundabout, only to be told they pose no danger to road or pavement users.

And a spokesperson for HCC has reiterated that stance, saying: “The trees along this road are inspected regularly by Hampshire County Council arboriculturists to assess their health and stability.

“During Storm Austen, exceptionally strong winds coincided with trees still being in full leaf, increasing the strain on branches. As a result, a branch came down at this location.”

The spokesperson added: “We would not remove healthy trees or branches unless they pose a clear risk to public safety and will continue to carry out proactive inspections and maintenance to identify and address potential hazards.

“Following the storm, our specialist Arboriculture team will be visiting the site to assess the surrounding trees and arrange any further works that may be required.”

The storm caused some localised disruption, with a power cable being brought down in Liss Forest and outages being reported around a large area to the west, south and east of Petersfield, and at least two pubs being forced to close.