A young woman was killed by a falling tree in the centre of Oxford yesterday (October 27) as winds reached speeds of up to 90mph.

Firefighters in Gloucester Street, Oxford, work to free the occupants of the car crushed when the tree snapped in high winds

The 22-year-old, who has not been named, was in a car which was crushed by a 20-tonne horse chestnut tree in Gloucester Street at about 11am.

She and her sisters, aged nine and 13, were in rear of the vehicle.

The younger girls were taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital with injuries which were not life threatening.

Two people sitting in the front of the vehicle were released quickly by firefighters.

Specialist cutting equipment was needed to remove the sides and back of the vehicle to reach the young girls.

A crane was used to lift the tree and wreckage so that the woman's body could be recovered.

Emergency services cordoned off the road, which leads to the underground car park at Gloucester Green.

The trunk snapped clean through at pavement level.

Louisa Horton, 30, who owns nearby giftshop Rowan, said: "It's absolutely tragic. It throws your whole perspective of feeling safe in the city. It has shaken everyone.

"People are saying they're wary of driving. You don't expect to get crushed by a tree."

Police have appealed for witnesses to call Pc Mark Gulliford on 01235 556920.

Shaun Gibson, of Oxford City Council's parks services, helped to cut up and remove the tree as part of a hectic day's work.

He said: "Everyone with a chainsaw is out. We've got 30 highways jobs to deal with in the city, and that's before we start on the houses and parks."

The hurricane-force winds caused problems throughout the county with fallen trees blocking roads and railway lines and cutting power lines leaving thousands of homes without electricity.

In Banbury, a householder rushed his family to safety after a large tree was uprooted at 10.30am.

Scott Bloomfield heard a cracking sound outside his bedroom window in Ruscote Avenue. He said: "I just heard and saw the tree coming down. Part of it landed in front of the window.

"It was panic stations and I just got everybody out of the house. The police and fire service came and closed the road for fear of more trees coming down."