Storm Ciara: Selham pub comes to rescue after fallen tree blocks road

Customers from a Selham put down their pints to come to the rescue after a tree felled by Storm Ciara blocked a nearby road.
A pub customer helped remove the tree from the roadA pub customer helped remove the tree from the road
A pub customer helped remove the tree from the road

Tom Richardson, one of the landlords at The Three Moles, received a phone call from a customer who was on their way to the pub to say Selham Road was blocked by a fallen tree at around 3.30pm.

Mr Richardson and one of the customers, who was fortunately a local gardener, sprang into action and made their way to the scene, where they found a beech tree ‘right across the road’.

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“A few seconds before or after and it could have been ontop of a car,” Mr Richardson said.

The gardener brought his tools with him and was able to clear the road within 15 minutes.

Mr Richardson said it was an example of ‘great community spirit’.

“That’s the good thing about this village, everyone gets stuck in and helps and gets things done,” he said.

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With Storm Ciara causing havoc across the county, with train services and flights cancelled, Mr Richardson said it could have taken some time for the authorities to clear the road.

“Being a country lane, it’s probably low on their list of priorities,” he said.

But he said it was a key road for locals in Selham.

“There’s only two ways in and out and that’s one of them,” he said. “Thankfully we got it cleared as the other way out was flooded today.”

The pub had a power cut for most of the day, but fortunately it has a back up generator it could rely on, and customers were able to relax and watch the rugby without interruption.

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Several roads in the area were blocked by trees yesterday – including the A283 in Egdean and the A286 New Road in Midhurst.

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