Trees uprooted and roads closed in 70mph gales chaos

Telegraph poles and trees were torn down as high winds with gusts of more than 70mph battered Shropshire.

Motorists faced disruption this morning as roads were blocked by the fallen debris.

And a car was crushed as strong winds blew a 30ft high Silver Birch over at Burton Borough School in Newport. The tree was uprooted and landed on top of a Nissan in the school car park at about 10.30am.

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It badly damaged the roof and rear window of the vehicle and three other cars suffered minor damage, but no-one was injured and the school remained open.

Officers from Telford & Wrekin Council were this afternoon deciding how to best remove it without further damage to the car.

In Shrewsbury, flooding continued to cause problems, with Environment Agency officials having to put up a second set of flood barriers at the Frankwell car park last night in an attempt to contain excess water.

The river's levels are expected to peak tomorrow afternoon.

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Mark Bowers, for the Environment Agency, said: "We had 25 to 30ml of rain over the Welsh mountains last night. That has kept the rivers topped up."

Firefighters and police were called to the A458 between Trewern and Middletown at 5.17am after reports that a BT pole had been blown down.

Fallen trees affected Cookley Lane in Kinver and blocked the A49 in both directions near the Bickerton Road junction, north of Whitchurch.

See also:

• Flood barriers put in place in Shrewsbury

• Flood warning as more rain forecast to hit region

• Huge tree destroys part of golfer’s Cleobury Mortimer house

• Strong gales batter Shropshire with roads flooded