(Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
A large tree has crashed into a brand-new detached home in Darlington, destroying its roof just weeks before new tenants were due to move in.
Pictures from the scene show the tree lying across the house, with a large section of the roof damaged and tiles torn away.
The tree came down on Antiquary Drive at around 9am today (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
A cordon has since been put in place around the property.
The detached house forms part of a new housing development on Antiquary Drive, which includes properties built by Homes by Esh.
The tree came down on Antiquary Drive at around 9am today (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
According to neighbours, the home is currently unoccupied but new tenants had been expecting to move in next month.
One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said he was at the back of his property when he heard the tree come crashing down.
The tree came down on Antiquary Drive at around 9am today (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
He said: "It was around 9am this morning and I was in the back of the house and heard this loud bang.
“Thankfully no one was living in the house at the time it happened.”
A fence was also damaged and slates dislodged from the roof landed on the neighbour's car.
The tree came down on Antiquary Drive at around 9am today (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)
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Neighbours said Darlington Borough Council have been notified about the fallen tree, with representatives attending the scene on Sunday morning.
Management teams have also visited the property following the incident.
The incident happened as strong winds from Storm Boelo continued to cause disruption across Darlington and County Durham, with trees and branches brought down in a number of areas in the region.