Devizes is counting the cost of yesterday’s storms with trees down and widespread flooding.

The most prominent victim of the high winds is the town’s Christmas tree which was left cracked and leaning at an alarming angle. Police have taped off the area round the tree until council workmen can make it safe.

And a venerable walnut tree, thought to be more than 200 years old, has measured its length off London Road.

The tree was in the grounds of Little Croft, off London Road, and toppled yesterday, demolishing part of the fence separating the grounds of Little Croft from the Croft retirement flats.

Clare Gore, whose home overlooks the fallen tree, said: “I used to love looking out of the window and seeing that tree. It was so old and beautiful. We shall miss it very much.

“The tree had a Tree Preservation Order on it and was a huge and very old specimen. Only the week before was a very large Scots Pine felled very close to it, opening up the walnut trees exposure to the elements.”

Villagers in Easterton are in for a miserable Christmas after the stream at the bottom of their gardens in the High Street overflowed its banks and drenched their ground floors.

Passing traffic made matters worse, creating bow waves that drove more water into their homes. Despite residents trying to slow traffic by waving torches at them, without much success.