Winds whip up trail of damage

Gale force winds across Staffordshire and the West Midlands have brought down scaffolding, flipped a lorry and sent firefighters up to their own roof.

During a night of extreme weather yesterday, gusts of wind reached 50 miles-an-hour. This speed was high enough for the Met Office to issue a severe weather warning for the region.

Scaffolding at the old Courts furniture store in Stafford town centre collapsed during strong winds.

Police and firefighters were called to the junction of Salter Street and Malt Mill Lane.

No-one was injured but the Health and Safety Executive could launch an investigation after the bottom part of the scaffolding collapsed at around 5pm. Woodmatech is converting the first floor on the site and has built a second floor to create 22 apartments.

A lorry driver had a narrow escape after the vehicle overturned and a piece of timber punctured the cab, missing him by inches. Emergency crews were amazed the man, who has not been named, walked away unharmed from the accident in Chadwick Bank, Stourport, at around 10.30pm last night.

Ade Taylor, team manager at Kidderminster Fire Station, said they had all been surprised the driver had not been seriously injured.

"A large piece of wood had speared the cab directly under his seat it must have only just missed him," he said.

Cannock firefighters had their own problems to deal with when high winds tore strips of sheeting from the fire station roof, on Old Hednesford Road, in the early hours of today. Extra help was called in from Stafford to help remove the sheeting.