A church warden has said it was lucky nobody was killed when a sixteen foot branch fell off a tree in a graveyard.
Ian Neale said the branch fell off under the weight of snow on Boxing Day in the graveyard at St Mary's Church in Melton.
Mr Neal said: "The church yard is a public right of way so people, use it all the time.
"It is very lucky that no-one was walking through when the branch fell down.
"The branch was so big that if it had hit anyone it would have proved fatal."
Mr Neale said the branch, which had a diameter of two feet at its thickest, fell off at about 8.30pm on December 26.
He said: "I was at home when I got a call.
"A nearby resident called to tell me the branch had fallen down.
"I went to see and then went to the police station to tell them. Not only had the branch fallen down but it had snapped through Christmas lights cables.
"This meant there was the danger of live cables there."
Mr Neale said the police helped sort out the situation. A tree surgeon removed the branch today.
Mr Neale said: "It was also lucky that the branch hit a buttress on the side of the church.
"If it had hit any of the stained glass windows it would have gone straight through and caused a lot of damage.
"As far as I can tell it has not caused any damage to the church."
He said the branch had damaged steel railings outside the church.
St Mary's Church is the largest parish church in Leicestershire, with visible remains dating mainly from the 13th-15th centuries.
The stonework in the lowest section of the tower, which has Norman windows, dates from 1170.
