Neighbours, a passing van driver and police officers worked together to clear two huge tree branches which fell across a Cockermouth road yesterday evening during the stormy weather.

The oak branches came down on Low Road, narrowly missing a cyclist, damaging a fence and causing tailbacks.

Resident Suzanne Elsworth, who called the police, said: "The first I knew was when I saw traffic swerving on to the other side of the road to avoid something. I looked outside and saw a whopping branch on the carriageway.

"My neighbour had heard a massive bang as a section of the branch hit her window.

"We realised we need to do something quickly, so coned off the road and we all got brushes and saws and started cutting up and carrying bits of the branch into my front yard or the river bank."

A passing Stobbarts van then stopped and the driver, who had a chain saw, got out to help. While he cut the wood, two PCSOs directed traffic and about 10 neighbours helped clear the debris off the road.

"It was a brilliant community effort," said Suzanne.

"I loved the fact that everyone got on with it without asking questions. People were out there in slippers and flipflops, wanting to help as there were tailbacks and potentially dangerous branches which had to be removed."

Within less than an hour the road had been cleared. Highways later cut down some other branches from the tree.