THERE was traffic chaos in Poole this morning after a tree fell in The Avenue.

The large tree, which blocked one lane of traffic approaching Branksome Beach, fell during rush-hour, and many motorists faced delays.

Mark Randal, a tree surgeon contracted by the Borough of Poole, said he was called to the scene at around 9am, and believed the road would be cleared by 11am.

“It’s what we call ‘summer drop’, where you get sudden rainfall after dry weather,” he said.

“It’s just lucky that there were no people or cars underneath when it happened.”

The tree is being fed through a wood chipper to clear it.