A TREE has fallen down outside Hove Town Hall overnight as the county faces heavy winds and rain.

People in the local area woke up to see the tree which had violently snapped due to the heavy winds.

Gary Wilkinson, Labour councillor for Central Hove, said he was "devastated" to hear the tree had fallen.

He said: "I am devastated to hear of the collapse of one of the tall trees outside Hove Town Hall.

"The tree has been there for as long as I can remember and is well known to local residents in central Hove and visitors alike. It has regularly been lit up at Christmas in the past.

The Argus: Tree outside Hove Town Hall.Tree outside Hove Town Hall.

"This is another sad loss to the city and hopefully it can be replaced as soon as possible. We have lost a number of trees recently and it is yet another example of the need to plant more across the city to protect our tree population.

"Hopefully nobody was injured and the obstructing tree can be attended to as soon as is possible."

The tree is currently being cleared.