VIRAL footage has emerged of a tree narrowly missing cars on a busy road – after it was felled the wrong way. 

The incident is understood to have happened on Crewe's West Street, close to a traffic light-controlled junction with Dunwoody Way, on Wednesday morning.

A video, taken from a property across the street, showed two tree surgeons at the site next to the tall tree, located on a plot opposite a convenience store.

One could be seen watching the other, who was using a chainsaw to try and cut down the tree but seemed to be struggling with the device.

The other appeared to be trying to wrestle the chainsaw free when the tree – understood to be a Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra) – began to topple over in the wrong direction towards the busy road, causing both workers to scarper. 

The person taking the video footage could be heart saying: "F***ing hell it's going the wrong way. Holly s***."

The tree then crashes down onto the road, luckily missing any cars that had driven past or had been driving towards the area. Nobody appears to have been hurt as a result of the incident.

The road was blocked while work was carried out to remove the tree. The footage was shared on social media with many commenting that it was lucky nobody was walking past at the time and that the tree missed the vehicles close by.

It is not clear who commissioned the workers to cut down the tree or which company they belong to.