A POWER cable has come down in a residential street after a tree collapsed in Hampshire overnight.

An ages-old oak tree split in half after it became “rotten to the core” and fell in front of an Eastleigh men’s charity headquarters at about 9.55am.

Chris Corney, research officer for Eastleigh Mens Shed, woke to find that the tree in Hamble Lane had fallen across the entrance to the shed, which is attached to his house.

He said that a power cable had come down with it and was underneath the tree.

He added that energy firm SSE were aware of the incident.

A spokesman from SSE said that only one household was affected by power loss which would return this afternoon.

The electricity to the power cable has been turned off.

No one was injured in the incident but that his lodger’s car had dents in the bonnet and a cracked windscreen.

There was no further property damage.

He added that he had been told that arborists from Eastleigh Borough Council were on their way to remove the tree.

“We had a look at tree. That portion of the tree is rotten inside.

"There’s another branch that next to it that’s coming up.

“We have been here for 50 years and it’s been here since then,” he said.