High winds caused carnage across the Bradford district yesterday, including sending an 80 foot tree crashing through the roof of a bungalow while its occupants were sleeping.

Gusts of more than 40 miles per hour swept across the district throughout the day, causing travel disruption and widespread property damage, with more gales on the way.

The residents of a bungalow in Vicarage Gardens, Birkenshaw, were awoken at 4am yesterday when a huge beech tree was blown over onto their home.

Les Mairs, who lives there with his wife, said he thought a bomb had gone off when the tree crashed through his roof.

He said: “It was about 4am and we were in bed when it happened, I’ve never heard anything like it, it sounded like a bomb had gone off.

“I jumped out of bed and went into the hallway and it was full of rubble.

“I thought the chimney had come down, but we went outside and I got a torch and that’s when we saw the huge tree had gone through our roof.”

Mr Mairs said the cost of the damage could go into six figures.

“It will need a full new roof and bathroom,” he continued.

“There’s a broken stump in the shower and branches have come straight through into the bathroom, it’s lucky it was so early and there was no one in there - the bathroom is destroyed.”

Mr Mairs and his wife have been forced to temporarily move into their landlord and neighbour’s home while the house is repaired, and tree surgeons were at the house all day working to remove the tree.

“It needs sorting as soon as possible because if it rains or snows everything inside will be destroyed.”

Another home in Sandford Road, Barkerend, was affected after a tree fell into its garden.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attended more than 20 wind-related callouts yesterday in the Bradford district, ranging from loose trampolines and roof tiles, to more trees that had been blown over causing problems around the city.

They attended the Vicarage Gardens incident, a trampoline in the street in Parkwood Road, Calverley, a tree leaning on house in Moor Road, Ilkley, a flat roof in dangerous position in Headlands Close, Liversedge, a house where the dormer had house blown off in New Hey Road, a loose trampoline in Springdale Crescent, Idle, a roof in dangerous condition, Farlea Drive, Eccleshill, lead hanging from a roof over pavement in Westfield Terrace, a precarious tree in Brookfield Road, a tree in dangerous position in Halifax Road, Brighouse, loose metal sheeting in Great Horton Road, loose roof slates in Jacobs Lane, Keighley, a metal shed that had blown over in Tyersal Court, a loose metal sign in Slack Bottom Road, a tree that had fallen onto a garage roof in Folkstone Street, guttering hanging off a corner building in Otley Road, a tree close to Eldwick Primary School, a wall collapse in Rushton Terrace, Thornbury, loose roof tiles in Grattan Road, an unsecure marquee at a hotel in Gomersal, and a hanging chimney stack in Hillary Road, Shipley.

Two trees in Netherlands Avenue, Low Moor, were blown down by the wind, with one causing extensive damage to a black Peugeot 208.

Joe Hustler said his work colleague was driving down the road when a branch fell from the tree onto his car, smashing the windscreen and the roof.

He said: “I was shocked when I saw the damage, the whole front of his car was a right mess.

“I don’t think he knew the extent of the damage, he was talking about just getting a new windscreen until he got out of the car and saw what had happened.

“He was really lucky that he was unharmed, the roof was really close to his head where it had crumpled from the impact.”

Another car, a black Audi A4, was also damaged by a tree in Waverley Terrace, Great Horton.

The fire service also attended a house in Moor Road, Ilkley, which had a tree leaning on it, and a tree in a dangerous position in Halifax Road, Brighouse.

Bradford Academy had to close its doors to all its 1,800 students, except a group of 70 Sixth Form students who had exams, yesterday due to wind damage.

Principal Tehmina Hashmi said student and staff safety was the reason she was forced to close the school.

She said: “We have some damage to a canopy across the front of the school, some of the panelling has been blown off and some is hanging loose.

“Firstly, in terms of having students and people coming in and out of the school, if one of the panels fell or blew off it could injured somebody.

“And secondly, if we were to open and needed to get the children out safely if there was an emergency, some exits are closed so it would not be a safe evacuation.

“There were some exams in the morning, but the students were in a supervised area and could have been evacuated safely.

“If there is even a little bit of a risk we have to close, I am looking after other people’s children so I have a duty to do what is best for them.”

Contractors were on site yesterday to repair the panelling, and the school is due to be open as normal today.

Barkerend Primary School, Foxhill Primary School and Frizinghall Primary School were all also closed due to structural damage.

On the roads, fallen trees caused delays and traffic across the district, including in Coach Road, Baildon, the A658 in Apperley Bridge, and Aireworth Road, Keighley.

A tree was brought down by the wind in Bradford Moor Park, landing across the playground area.

The wind also caused a large brick wall in Thornbury to collapse, strewing rubble across Rushton Terrace.

Joolz Denby, a resident on the street, said children who play in the street could have been injured by the collapsing wall, and the rubble would have stopped emergency services from being able to get up the street.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: “We were told yesterday morning that the wall had collapsed as a result of the bad weather and a highways structure engineer went out to assess the situation, who is now taking action to make the wall safe.”

Fire crews also were also called to attend the wall collapse.

Meanwhile, teenage children had to be rescued from their home in Bradford after a fallen tree barred their exit.
The 40 to 50 foot high sycamore crashed onto the front and side of a house in Howarth Avenue, Swain House, at around 9.15am on Wednesday morning following overnight gales.
Homeowner Michael Head said: "I was at work at the time or my car would have been flattened in the drive.
"The tree was growing on council-owned verge outside my home but when it fell it blocked the front and side door. My teenage son and daughter were inside and couldn't get out. I was at work but when I got back I couldn't get in.
"Eventually the council came out and cut the branches away so we could get in and out, though they said they would have to come back the next day to remove the rest of the tree because they had so many other incidents to deal with.
"The tree has brought up a lot of the pavement and kerb too and has brought down guttering and damaged the fascia and some roof tiles on my house."

The weather also caused trains to be delayed coming in and out of Bradford Forster Square station, and overhead lines were affected in Shipley.

Gusts of up to 75mph also affected flights in and out of Leeds Bradford Airport in Yeadon.

The Met Office is forecasting more strong winds in Bradford for the rest of the week, though at the time of going to print there was no snow forecast in the Bradford district, apart from Queensbury, where snow is due throughout today.

Gusts of more than 30mph are expected today, followed by gusts of up to 41mph tomorrow, with the high winds and chilly temperatures expected to clear up by the weekend.

There are also local reports of fallen trees in Smith Avenue and Netherlands Avenue in Wibsey, Allerton Road, Bradford, Aireworth Road, Keighley, and Halifax Road, Shelf.

 

Has the wind affected your journeys today or caused damage to your property overnight? Send your pictures to us at newsdesk@telegraphandargus.co.uk.

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