Tree crushes marquee mere metres from Nick

Saturday 13th November 2010, 2:30PM GMT.

Nick Martel was in the Avant Garden Christmas marquee when the tree fell. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 1052586)

A TREE brought crashing down by high winds was just metres from crushing a retailer.

Avant Garden owner Nick Martel and employee James Brehaut were behind the counter of their Christmas wonderland marquee at Sausmarez Manor, listening to the howl of the wind.

‘In high winds there is a lot of movement and noise in the marquee. We have so many tinkling baubles and glass objects,’ Mr Martel said.

‘We were both just stood behind the counter – the noise was immense.

‘It didn’t happen at once. Stands with glass decorations just started collapsing, and baubles and mirrors started smashing. We saw the roof had lowered but we didn’t know what had happened.’