A MINEHEAD shop front has been destroyed after a tree fell down in strong overnight winds.

The tree came down onto the Framing Factory and Gallery last night, with emergency services called to the scene in The Avenue shortly before 2am (June 6).

However, the shop front's owner is out of the country in Thailand, with local businesses saying they did not know how to tell him about the shocking damage.

Arizona Mitchell, customer assistant at neighbouring store Proper Job, said: "The tree has snapped at the bottom and literally made the shop collapse. All of the front is down, it is quite a mess to be honest.

"The whole thing is cornered off at the moment, but the problem is we think the owner is in Thailand so it is staying like this at the moment.

"It was definitely the wind and there is a tree on the right of it that has some branches down and looks like it might be next."

Clare Pound is the manager and senior organiser at Home-Start, which is the Framing Factory and Gallery on the other side.

Home-Start is a voluntary organisation offering support and practical help to families at home with children under the age of seven.

She said: "All I know is it happened overnight. The damage done is really just to the shop next door, but the owner is away until August.

"Because it has fallen onto his shop it has kind of stopped it going onto ours.

"They dealt with it very quickly indeed. It never stopped out work.

"It is also a shame because they have these lovely light, the big ball lights, and they are all down now."

Despite being more than 7,400 miles away in South East Asia, Framing Factory and Gallery owner John Fallon discovered the news of the tree being toppled into his property late on Tuesday afternoon.

He said: "I have just heard from my friend what has happened. Unfortunately I am in Thailand so I have asked him to go round and put all the broken pieces into the shop and I will sort it out on my return."

A fire engine from Minehead attended the incident after reports of a tree having fallen down onto a shop front and becoming entangled in a street light.

The crew cordoned off the area and made the scene safe before leaving it in the hands of police.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said they were called after reports of a tree falling down into a shop canopy.

Police attended in company with the fire service but have now handed the scene to the council.

The tree has now been removed and some logs left at the scene.

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