A family was left fearing for their lives after a 60ft conifer tree fell on top of their house during Storm Arwen.
The Rutters, from Gateshead, said the house shook when 98mph winds hurled the tree onto their roof blocking windows and doors.
Lewis Patton, who was staying at the house with girlfriend April Rutter, said they had spotted the hazardous tree, which was in the garden of a property that backed onto their home, swaying before the incident on November 27.
He told ChronicleLive : "We heard this almighty noise and the house just shook. My girlfriend was saying all night, 'I can see that tree blowing over' and, true to her word, it did. It was terrifying."
Council tenant John Rutter, 60, also lives at the house with his wife Julie, daughter April, 22, son Connor, 26, and grandson Paul, 12.
He has undergone a triple bypass and relies on a machine connected to the internet at the house to monitor his heart.
Lewis, 20, said the family was left fearing for their safety after the tree fell and immediately contacted Gateshead Council on their emergency line for help.
But, after more than an hour of waiting, they were told someone would ring them back.
Lewis said after repeated calls to the council over the weekend, where they were "passed from one person to another," the family was told that someone from the council would come out to inspect the situation on Sunday - but no one came.
However, after contacting the emergency services, they said the police came to the house on Saturday and told them that the tree needed to be removed "as soon as possible".
But the family, along with their two husky dogs and cat, were left waiting in the front room downstairs, for more than 48 hours before a council inspector arrived on Monday.
Lewis said the family had been frightened to go upstairs while they waited to hear back from the council in case it wasn't safe.
"It was absolutely ridiculous," Lewis said.
"We had been waiting 48 hours with the tree on the top of the house.
"Six of us were sleeping in the living room. We didn't want to go upstairs in case the tree came down."
Lewis said he was "angry" at the council's slow response, particularly as John has serious health issues with his heart condition and has also suffered two strokes.
He said the family wanted the council to remove the tree and for quicker confirmation that the property was safe to live in, rather than being offered temporary accommodation, as John's health issues make it difficult to move.
"When we called the council they said it could take two to three days before anything is done about it," Lewis said.
"We are angry that no one had come out from the council [for so long] to make sure that we were OK and that John was OK with being disabled."
The family said the fence and aerial have been knocked down by the tree and that cracks have appeared in one of the bedroom walls.
A shed that housed around 80 of John's budgies had also been damaged and access was initially blocked, but Lewis said the family has since been able to go in and make sure the birds are OK.
On Monday, November 29, a team from Gateshead Council came out to inspect the situation and said work will be carried out this week to remove the trees.
They said that the council had to prioritise work where people’s lives have been in danger during the "challenging weekend" caused by the storm.
A Gateshead Council spokesman said: “Our emergency response team received a call about this incident in the early hours of Saturday morning.
"We then consulted with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, who confirmed that the tree was not posing an immediate risk to the residents or to the house itself.
“We offered the family alternative accommodation, which they declined.
“Storm Arwen has wreaked havoc across the region and our emergency teams have been working 24/7 to remove hazardous fallen trees from across the borough, and to keep the road network clear.
“Across a very challenging weekend, we have had to prioritise work where people’s lives have been in danger.
“We stayed in contact with Mr Rutter throughout the weekend and our specialist arbour team have attended his home this afternoon to clear branches from the two trees which have fallen against the house, to provide immediate access to the aviary in the garden.
“A surveyor has now inspected the rear of the property, and scaffolding will be erected tomorrow, to provide access to remove the remainder of these large trees.
"This work will take several days to complete. Damage to the house will also be assessed.”
