Storms cut power to 'thousands'

The high winds caused some roof damage

Engineers are working to restore power to thousands of homes in the East Midlands after high winds overnight.

Lincolnshire Police said they handled more than 500 calls on Friday night and early Saturday morning, with most of them weather-related incidents.

Central Networks said a total of about 6,000 properties were affected in the region, mostly in Lincolnshire.

In Derby, a section of a hair salon in Green Lane was blown off in the high winds damaging a neighbouring property.

Rubble on roof

Derby restaurant owner Robin Mitchell said the gable end of the next-door shop was blown onto the roof of his property at about 2315 GMT on Friday by a high gust of wind.

"Fire and safety officials are assessing the damage," he said.

The clean-up crews had not yet started clearing the rubble from the roof of his Soul Deli restaurant, he added.

A Central Networks spokesman said engineers were working "as quickly and safely as possible" to repair the damage and restore power.

At least 500 properties were without power in Gosberton in Lincolnshire after overhead power lines were blown down due to the high winds.

About 1,400 properties across Lincolnshire were still without power on Saturday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to a series of wind-related incidents overnight including dangerous chimneys in Hull and Grimsby and collapsed scaffolding in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire.

Another 700 properties were without power in Nottinghamshire, a Central Networks spokeswoman said.