A man who was left shocked and shaken after a tree suddenly came crashing down right in front of him while he was taking a stroll with his dog said it sounded like a bomb had exploded.

Dog walker Ian Todd was taking his usual stroll though Rickerby Park, Carlisle, when suddenly he heard a loud crack and the tree keeled over, leaving him feeling lucky not to have been struck.

Mr Todd, who is a former military man, said: “I was walking my dog – I walk that way every day – it was so quick, I got a big shock.

“I have never seen a tree come down, it sounded like a lorry dumping a load of bricks.

“I feel very lucky.

"When it happened I rushed over in case it had fallen on someone.

"They would have had no chance surviving.

"It was like a bomb went off.”

Mr Todd, who had his dog Harry with him, suggested the area should be fenced off.

“You just don’t know what could happen," he said.

“When the tree fell there was a bit of wind in the air.

"I dread to think what it would be like when the wind picks up.”

The former serviceman admitted the incident had left him feeling shocked.

He added: “I was in a bit of a state shock when it happened.

"I have PTSD and it doesn’t take much to set it off, nevermind a tree suddenly collapsing near me and there wasn’t a breath of wind either.

“I’ve been down again, avoiding trees."

Mystery surrounds the cause of the tree coming down, which Mr Todd said had left him frightened to walk in the park because of fears that whatever caused it could bring down more trees.

United Utilities, which is carrying out work replacing water mains pipes in the park, confirmed it had not been responsible.

The firm has been completing part of a three-year, £14 million scheme to clean and refurbish more than 30hm of the city's biggest water pipes.

The latest phase will involve re-lining 3.8km of old cast iron water pipe on the northern outskirts of Carlisle. It will start in former school grounds near Victoria Place and end at Newfield Drive, off Kingstown Road, in the middle of February next year.

On its way, the project will have to navigate the River Eden, Rickerby Park, the line of Hadrian’s Wall and Brampton Road.

A spokesperson said: "Our work has not had any impact on the tree and we are not digging anywhere near its roots.”

A Carlisle City Council spokesperson said: “No damage to park infrastructure has been caused by the tree and we will remove it as soon as we can.”