Passers by at Hampstead Heath had a lucky escape as a huge branch fell to the ground with "an almighty crash".
Donald Beskin was on his way to have a cup of tea at Redemption Roasters, in South End Road, when he heard a crack moments before a branch from a London plane tree came crashing down.
"It was a pretty big branch and made a hell of a noise," said Donald.
"There was an almighty crack which was the branch breaking and a few moments later it crashed on the ground.
"It was pretty reassuring nobody was anywhere near it."
He said had someone been beneath it they would have needed to be aware of where the noise was "and quickly move away".
"It was quite a big branch and would have been quite injurious," he added.
The London plane is a hybrid of American sycamore and Oriental plane first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th.
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