Dog-walkers who braved the high winds this morning in Barking Park came across fallen trees that blocked a driveway, a footpath and the park’s miniature railway line.

Barking and Dagenham Post: Tony Richards on a fallen tree across the railway track in Barking ParkTony Richards on a fallen tree across the railway track in Barking Park (Image: Archant)

Tony Richards, 77, of Wilmington Gardens, Barking, wasn’t deterred from his normal walk in the park in Longbridge Road.

But he soon came across two large trees which had fallen onto the track for the park’s light railway.

Mr Richards said the London plane trees were about 40ft high and had fallen leaving only around three feet of their trunks remaining in the ground.

He said: “My first thought was ‘it’s quite some damage’. They [London Borough of Barking & Dagenham] have done a good job in clearing it up and the damage [to the track] doesn’t seem to be extensive.”

Two large trees also fell across the vehicle driveway near the Longbridge Road entrance and so its entrance gate was locked in the morning.

Those trees were removed as a priority, according to a council spokesman, so that people could get into the car park.

Another large tree came down over the Prince George’s Avenue footpath through the middle of the park and again, the spokesman said it was cleared as a priority as it is a main pedestrian route into the park.

He added: “There are lots of branches and debris down on the light railway line but our immediate priority is clearing debris from the areas that are open to the public.”

Large branches fell into the park’s boating lake too.

And drivers in London Road had to manoeuvre around a fallen tree which had completely blocked the pavement with its foliage lying in traffic.