Bexley mum's luck as tree crushes her car just before she gets in

Five minutes earlier and she would have been in her bedroom, shattered glass spraying across her as the tree crashed onto the roof and rolled off her home.

Thankfully for Maxine Jones, she was just lucky enough to be in the kitchen in her morning routine when disaster struck her family home.

She and her family were in their Bexley Park home on January 18 as storms hit the capital, knocking down trees, closing the Dartford Crossing, and causing chaos across London.

At the time extraordinary pictures were sent to News Shopper of a gigantic tree that had collapsed onto the roof of a home, bounced off and crushed a car in the front drive.

READ MORE: Roofs destroyed, trees felled and schools closed: The damage from last night's storm

Today we were able to speak to Maxine Jones and her experience that day and what it’s done to her family.

She said: “I was in the kitchen just unloading the dishwasher. I was just about to get in that car.

“Five minutes earlier and I would have been covered in glass whilst getting dressed in my bedroom. Five minutes later and I would have been in my car.

“It was horrendous when it hit the home and there was a lot of scattered debris. I was scared to even open the front door.

“My son was asleep with his girlfriend and they were woken up by it hitting the house. He keeps getting flashbacks to it.”

It was 6.15am when the giant tree gave way in the 75mph winds and toppled onto her home and her car, which she had only just bought in September.

Maxine said there had been concerns about the tree before it had even collapsed. She said: “I know I lot of residents complaint about this tree – there was an issue with it but nothing was done about it.

“The home was built by Barratts in 2003 and the loft is extremely well protected with all these beams. It was so lucky nobody was hurt.

“I am quite sad the whole tree is gone now. It had been there a very long time.”

Thanks to the repair work being done on her home, Maxine's family and even her pets have been spread across London and Kent as they try to get their life back on track.

She said: “The first night after it happened I slept there, but as time goes on I have had to take everything out of that room. I am only a tenant there. I was terrified to even stay there.

“The family is now all living in different parts of Kent. One son is living in Swanscombe with family.

“My dogs are staying in Swanscombe too but at a different location with my retired parents with their two dogs and two cats. My cat is in temporary foster care in Dartford at a cost of £4.50 a day.

“I have two pets still at the property who are unable to leave, another son is currently at uni in Canterbury and unable to come home to visit.

“I am currently living with family in Gillingham, my young niece has given up her bedroom for me.”

Now Maxine is left waiting to try get her life back on track. She said: “I can't believe that I literally have lost my entire life in five minutes, been left considerably out of pocket and have no idea when I will be allowed back home.”