Chaos in village after mini-tornado

A freak mini-tornado threw a quiet Midland village into chaos uprooting a large tree and even lifting a dog from the ground.

Families were stunned when winds began to whip around Martley, near Stourport.

Seconds later a "black funnel" swept through St Peter's Drive uprooting the tree and sending it flying through the air. It landed on the road just a short distance from an old people's home.

Roof tiles and garden furniture were also hurled into the air by the tornado which lasted about a minute.

Four-month-old border collie puppy Stumpy was also lifted off his paws, as he and owner Patrick Davies were out walking when the storm struck at about 8.30pm on Tuesday.

Villagers were today watching the skies to see what the weather would bring for St Swithin's Day.

According to tradition if rain falls today there will be showers for the next 40 days. And forecasters gave a gloomy outlook with a mix of showers, blustery winds and sunshine predicted for the coming few days.

The Met Office forecast for the region today was for scattered blustery showers, with persistent rain to fall in some parts this evening.

There will also be strong south-westerly winds throughout the day. Temperatures were today expected to reach a high of 64F (18C). Tomorrow will be slightly warmer at 66F (19C).

Sunshine and showers are expected to continue until the middle of next week.

But villagers in Martley are just hoping Tuesday's storm will not be repeated.

Josephine Davies, mother to Patrick who was out walking his dog during the storm, said: "He was trying to walk the dog and managed to stay on his feet but it blew the puppy off his feet."

Fellow resident Elizabeth Kendal, 78, said: "I wondered what was happening when it went so dark. All the trees started to whirl around."