'Tornado' rips through greenhouses

The owner blames a tornado or whirlwind for the damage

A County Down garden centre owner says he and his staff are lucky to be alive after freak weather conditions caused extensive damage.

Drumcro Nursery, near Kilkeel, remains closed on Tuesday as the clearing up operation continues.

One of the owners, George Mills, believes a tornado or whirlwind was responsible for causing the damage.

It struck during a heavy shower of rain at about 1800 BST on Monday, as Mr Mills and other members of staff worked in one of the centre's greenhouses.

Strong winds swept through the area, ripping through greenhouses and knocking over plants.

Mr Mills said he and other employees at the Drumcro Nursery had to take shelter from shards of flying glass and debris as the building began to shake.

About 26 tornadoes occur in the UK each year

He said he could not believe the devastation that had been caused.

"It was like something out of a horror movie," he said.

"Looking round, there are shards of glass scattered around the nursery.

"We are very lucky to be alive."

The Met Office could not confirm that it was a tornado, but a spokesperson said such conditions could happen at this time of year.

The UK is said to experience an estimated 26 tornadoes on land each year.