Tributes to ‘best dad’ killed by tree in Birmingham during Storm Darragh

Fatima, who now lives in Dubai, flew home to Birmingham after receiving a message from her youngest sister telling her: “I think dad’s gone.”

“I was with my friends and I literally like fell onto the floor. I don’t even know how I made the flight back,” she added.

Mr Hussain, who had five grandchildren, was also known across the region as head chef and owner of the Qmin Indian restaurant in Lichfield.

“Our house it’s full of people… because my dad was so loved in the community and he helped so many people,” Fatima said.

Hundreds of trees were brought down in the West Midlands amid 60mph (97kmh) winds as the storm battered the region at the weekend, with roads closed and rail lines blocked.

Residents near Sutton Road described hearing a “big bang” and seeing a “big chunk” of the tree across the car’s windscreen on Saturday, with people attempting to open the car doors.

Ms Begum tearfully urged Birmingham City Council to cut down potentially dangerous trees in the area.

“I’m just telling council and private property, please look after your trees, how’s my husband gone? I don’t want anybody killed like him, please,” she said.

In a statement, Birmingham city councillor Majid Mahmood said its thoughts were with Mr Hussain’s family and friends.

“At the weekend, Storm Darragh caused a huge amount of damage across the country and Birmingham, with dozens of trees coming down due to very high winds,” he said.

“We do regular inspections of trees but of course we will take on board any findings from the investigation.”