Ballymoney Christmas Tree tumbled by winds ... again

It was the second time the official Christmas Tree in Ballymoney was felled by huge gusts with a previous tree also having to be hauled down for safety reasons before Christmas after it lurched badly in high winds on December 8.

Liz Johnston said: “We have not had much luck with the official Christmas Tree in Ballymoney this year. This was the second time it has had to be removed.

“This time the tree has snapped in two like a pencil would break. It happened around 3am and workers were called out at 6.30am after it was discovered the Tree had broken across the road. The electricity was isolated and it was taken down and removed around 9am.”

Disruption was caused across north Antrim on Tuesday (January 3) when gale-force winds tumbled trees.

A tree was down on the busy Frocess Road near Ballymoney around 7am and Inspector David Anderson of Ballymoney PSNI said a vehicle collided with it but there were no reports of any injuries.

The inspector said a tree was also down at Drumahiskey Road, Balnamore.

Roads Service were dealing with several trees down across Northern Ireland and there were unconfirmed reports of trees down in the Coleraine Road and Ballybogey Road areas of Ballymoney.

There were also sightings of wheelie bins lying on roads and vehicles were buffetted with cross-winds during the morning rush hour.

The worst of the winds were reported between 5am and 7am but the Moyle police area appeared to have escaped severe gale damage.

Inspector Bryan Hume of Moyle PSNI said at 10am, police there had not dealt with any incidents.

There were also reports of power cuts in the Carrowcrin Road area in the Drones district near Armoy.