A 92-year-old woman was crushed to death when a tree fell on top of her in a Birmingham park.

The pensioner was sitting on a bench in Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, when the giant beech tree toppled over.

She and her male carer, who was also trapped beneath the trunk, cried for help as they were pinned to the bench.

A passing police officer heard them and alerted emergency teams.

The two victims were dragged from beneath the branches of the 40ft high tree that bordered a path near the Midland Arts Centre.

The pensioner from Shard End suffered head and internal injuries and died later in Selly Oak Hospital.

The man, who escaped with a broken leg, was recovering in hospital last night.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: "We are carrying out a joint investigation with the police into the collapse of the tree.

"The inspector has arranged for an independent expert to come and take a look at the tree to determine why it fell and what was the likelihood of any problems being detected within the tree if examined under normal maintenance."

A tree expert from the Forestry Commission has been called in to examine the fallen tree.

It is understood trees in Cannon Hill Park are routinely examined by park rangers for any signs of disease or damage.

An inquiry will look at whether anything could have been done to prevent the tragedy.

A city council spokesman said: "We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the people and their families involved in this incident. West Midlands Police are investigating and we are working closely with them and are giving them every co-operation. At this stage it would be inappropriate to make any further comment."

Six years ago Kenneth Davis, aged 56, his 79-yearold mother Ellen, from Kings Heath and Alan Poole, aged 60, from Alcester in Warwickshire, were killed when a diseased 60ft ash tree crashed onto cars queuing along Alcester Road in Kings Heath.

An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.

Birmingham City Council was fined £150,000 after admitting it breached health and safety laws. Mr Davis's widow Sandra branded the fine "derisory".

Following the incident council chiefs ordered the assessment of all highway trees.

The latest tragedy struck on Wednesday lunchtime, just hours before a tornado hit the Moseley area of Birmingham - the second freak storm to hit the area in three months.

The whirlwind ripped the entire roof off a house in Dovey Road at about 8pm, leaving rubble, roofing struts and tiles strewn across the street.

Father-of-four Mohammed Saleem said his wife, two of his four children and his mother were in the house at the time but had escaped unhurt.

Mr Saleem, who had gone out, said: "I got a phone call from my brother saying a few slates had flown off my roof, but when I rang my wife she said that the whole roof had flown off.

"Apparently it only lasted six seconds, but it has completely wrecked the house, all the ceilings have all caved in upstairs and it just looks a right mess."

Referring to the twister which devastated Moseley and Sparkbrook in July, Mr Saleem, 34, added: "We had one a few months ago - although it didn't hit this road it passed very close by."