TWO drivers narrowly escaped serious injury as dozens of trees were blown down in the gale-force winds which battered Oxfordshire.

More than 600 homes and businesses across the county also lost electricity in the second successive day of extreme weather as winds hit speeds of 64mph.

County council highways engineers received 300 calls about fallen or damaged trees, including nine blown down in Oxford.

Father-of-five Bob Richens got out of his silver people carrier in Samphire Road, Blackbird Leys, just minutes before a 25ft plum tree collapsed on its roof.

And a woman was driving along Woodstock Road, Witney, when a tree toppled on to her car.

Click here for her story.

Mr Richens, 46, was visiting a friend's house in Samphire Road yesterday morning when the tree fell on his silver Vauxhall Zafira.

He said: "I'm lucky to be alive - if I had arrived just two minutes later, I would have been crushed.

"It's a big tree and I could have been killed - I feel very shaken by what has happened.

"My advice to other drivers is don't park under trees in these high winds."

Shortly after 6am, a large tree fell across the A361 Bloxham road near Chipping Norton, blocking part of the carriageway.

Two cars collided as the drivers tried to avoid the tree. They were not seriously injured and police were called to help clear the road.

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